Trust In Me
by KACULLEN
Summary: Edward needs a break from all the couples in his house so he decides to stay at one of the Cullen's other homes. What happens when he meets a newborn vampire on the run?
1. A Break

A Break

"Edward, are you sure about this?"

I had pretty much lost count of how many times Esme had asked me that question over the past week. I had hoped that by now she would have come to terms with my leaving, but clearly that wasn't the case.

"Yes Esme, I am," I replied for the millionth time. Esme sighed and nodded, in what I hoped was acceptance, and kissed my forehead before leaving my room. I listened to her walk down the stairs before I went back to my packing. I could have finished packing in five seconds if I wanted, but I wasn't in a rush, so I took shirts out of my closet and put them in my duffle bag at a normal human speed.

As I packed I once again thought about what I was about to do. My family meant everything to me, but sometimes it just got to be too much. Living in a house full of couples while I remained in a permanent state of bachelorhood wasn't easy, and being able to hear their thoughts made it down right stressful at times. Hearing them think about how happy they were with their mates and how much in love they were made me feel lonely. I wanted that too, but I hadn't met anyone I wanted to spend the rest of eternity with. Eternity was a long time, and I wasn't going to settle down until I found the absolute right person.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and headed back over to my closet to grab some jeans and sweat pants. Once they were in my bag along with a few other odds and ends, I zipped it shut and made my way downstairs. I knew getting away from the happy couples would be good for my sanity. I knew that this break was what I needed. But that didn't mean I was looking forward to saying goodbye to my family.

My siblings had been surprising understanding about my decision, and I was grateful. Emmet was silently hoping I would meet a girl on the road and finally get laid. Jasper, who was forced to feel what I felt, understood completely why I had to do this. Rosalie was indifferent. Of course, Rose was indifferent about most things that weren't directly about her, so this was no surprise.

Then there was Alice. Alice was happy. Alice was generally a happy person, but ever since I told them I was planning to leave she had been happy to the extreme. I would have been insulted, except she was blocking her thoughts from me, and she only did that when she was hiding something. I didn't bother to press her for details, since if she was happy then it wasn't anything bad.

Deep down I knew Esme understood why I was doing this; she just didn't want to let me go. I wasn't leaving forever, just a few weeks, but it was enough to sadden Esme. My siblings and I were Esme's children and losing us for any amount of time was hard for her. After what she went through with her own child when she was human, I understood. I had promised her I would keep my cell phone on at all times and I would e-mail her frequently.

Carlisle's reaction was the one that surprised me the most. When I told him my plan he said that he understood, but ever since then he has been distant and he has been blocking his thoughts. The only time Carlisle blocks his thoughts from me is when he and Esme are being intimate, so I was slightly nervous about what was going on with him.

Since I was done packing I figured now was as good a time as any to talk to him. Leaving my duffle on the bed, I exited my room and made my way downstairs to the second floor where Carlisle's office was located. I knew full well that Carlisle heard my approach, but that didn't stop me from knocking quietly on the door.

"Come in Edward," he said. I pushed open the door and found Carlisle at his desk, intently reading one of his many textbooks. I took a seat in the chair across from him as he shut the book and turned his focus to me.

"I'm ready to go," I began as the look of worry that has been on Carlisle's face all week made yet another appearance.

"You're all packed then?" Carlisle asked as he tried and failed to mask his worry with a smile.

"Yes, but I wanted to talk to you," I said as I attempted to peek into Carlisle's mind. I was frustrated, but not really surprised to discover he was blocking me by listing medical terms.

"What about?" he asked.

"You have been acting really strange since I told you I was leaving, and I want to know what is going on. You have been distant, and more than that you've been blocking your thoughts from me. Clearly you have a problem with my leaving, and I want to know what it is." Carlisle stared at me silently for a moment before he shook his head and sighed in defeat.

"You're right," he said, "I am worried."

"What are you worried about?" I asked.

"You," Carlisle replied, "I don't want this to be like the last time."

"What?" I asked completely confused.

"You have only left this family one other time," Carlisle said, "I trust you remember what happened."

"I…" I started to say something before realization donned on me and I fell silent. Carlisle was worried that I was going to rebel again. Carlisle and I had been together long enough that I pretty good understanding of how his mind worked, and because of that his actions over the past few days now made sense to me. He was distant because he didn't know how to approach me, and he blocked his thoughts because he didn't want me to be angry with him. I wasn't angry, thought. If anything I was disappointed he would think I would ever go back to that way of life.

Like most teenagers I had rebelled against my parents, but my rebellion was more extreme than most. It wasn't a time a really liked to think about.

"I couldn't forget if I tried," I replied, "You know how much I hated myself after that."

"I know. I am sorry for bringing it up and assuming the worst," Carlisle said remorsefully, "I just worry about you."

"I know you do and I appreciate it," I said with a smile, "I promise you have nothing to worry about."

"Alright," Carlisle said as he stood up and walked around his desk to where I was sitting.

"We are okay, right?" I asked as I stood up.

"We are fine son," Carlisle promised, "I hope you have a good trip."

"Thanks," I said as clapped his hand on my shoulder.

"Just remember to call every once in a while so Esme doesn't work herself into a panic" Carlisle said with a smirk.

"I heard that," Esme's voice floated up from downstairs.

"Sorry dear," Carlisle replied and we laughed. We parted then, me to head upstairs to grab my duffle and Carlisle to join everyone downstairs. Everyone is waiting for me in the living room, and Esme, of course is the first one to rush over. She pulled me toward her into a tight hug.

"You be careful," she said, "and I really do want you to check in every once in a while."

"I will, I promise," I said as I hugged her back. When Esme doesn't show signs of letting go, Carlisle comes over and pulls her away. Alice quickly takes her place, and because of her size she is forced to stand on her tip toes to give me a hug.

"Have fun," she said with a knowing smile.

"Thanks," I replied and she bounces away.

Rose looks up from the fingernail she is painting. "Bye," she said before going back to work.

"I'll miss you too Rose," I mutter.

Emmett comes over and holds out his fist for me to punch, and when I do a fierce grin spreads across his face.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he said.

"Is there anything you wouldn't do?" I asked with a smirk.

"Nope," he replied with a smirk of his own before joining Rose on the couch. Once Emmett is seated, Jasper wanders over and holds out his hand for me to shake.

"Have a good trip man," he said as I shake his hand.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Enjoy the silence," he said.

"Oh don't worry, I will," I answered with a smile before turning to Carlisle. We stare at each other for a minute and for that short span of time I fear he has started doubting me again, then he smiles. Relief courses through me as he walks over and clamps his hand my shoulder.

"Enjoy yourself son," he said and I nodded, "Take the time you need, but don't stay away too long."

"I won't," I replied before he pulls me in for a quick hug. I stepped away and turned to grab my bag from the floor beside me. Bag in hand I walked to the door and turned to get one last look at my family.

"We will miss you," Esme said from her place beside Carlisle. I knew if she could, she would be crying.

"I'll miss you too," I replied before I hurry out the door out to my car.

Initially I had debated about whether or not I should actually take my car or just run. In the end I decided that since I didn't know how long I would be gone it was probably best to have my car. It would take me longer to get where I was going, but that was okay, I was in no hurry. We had houses all over, so choosing where I wanted to stay wasn't easy. After much deliberation I had decided on our house in northern Minnesota. It was perfect because it was surrounded by woods and had plenty of wildlife. It was a little sunnier in Minnesota than it was in Washington, but our house was in a pretty secluded place so I wasn't worried.

I threw my duffle in the back seat of the car and slid into the front seat. Normally I would speed down the driveway, but today was different. Today I took my time and savored my last looks of the house. It was pretty magnificent with its majestic three stories, glimmering glass walls and beautiful wrap-around porch.

I would miss it, but I knew I wouldn't be gone forever. The house and people living in it would be waiting for me when I returned. With one last look I pulled out of the clearing and out on to the main road. I was finally on my and I felt happy.

Driving through Forks I realized there were things I wouldn't miss, like high school. It was June and Alice, Jasper and I had just finished our sophomore year at Forks high, Rose and Emmett just finished their junior year. High school became tedious after a while, so this break was more than welcome. I knew I should probably be back by the first week of September to help keep people from talking; I would deal with that when the time came.

I passed by more small shops and stores before getting on the freeway. I didn't have to worry about the police with my built in radar, so when I hit the freeway I gunned it.


	2. A Shock

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Shock

Late the next evening I pulled into the garage of our Minnesota home. It hadn't taken me as long as the average person to drive here, because not only did I drive 100 miles per hour but I also didn't need to stop for sleep. I hopped out of the car and stretched my arms over my head. It was unnecessary because my muscles didn't get sore, but it felt good none the less. After a second I dropped my arms and opened the back door of my car to reach for my bag.

With my bag in hand, I made my way into the house. I walked into the mud room and immediately took off my shoes. Esme has some kind of radar when it comes to mud and dirt, so even though she's not here I knew she would find out if I tracked mud on her floor, and I would never hear the end of it.

Once my shoes were safely tucked away I continued my journey though the house. I walked through the kitchen, dining room, and living room before finally reaching the staircase. Unlike our house in Forks, this house only had two stories so my room was on the second floor. Alice and Jasper's room and Emmett and Rose's room where also on the second floor. Esme and Carlisle's was on the first floor along with Carlisle's office. I hurried up the stairs and quickly found my room. It was pretty sparse seeing as we never lived here, but it would be perfect for my time here.

I surveyed the room and took in the cream colored walls and carpet, the dark cherry oak furniture and the navy blue comforter. There was also a T.V., stereo, and a computer.

I dropped my bag on the bed and went to work unpacking. It didn't take long; Alice kept all of our houses stocked with clothes so I really didn't pack much. Once everything was done I flopped down on the bed and sighed in contentment. For the first time in a long time everything was silent, and it was amazing. Unfortunately the silence was short lived when the ring of my cell phone filled the air.

As I pulled the phone out of my pocket I glanced at the caller I.D. and saw that it was Esme. I shook my head and smiled as I answered the phone.

"Hello,"

"Hi Edward," Esme replied, "Did you make it there, are you alright?"

"Yes Esme, I made it and I am in one piece," I said.

"Don't be a smart ass," Esme scolded.

"Sorry Mom," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"What are you going to do tonight?" Esme asked.

"I don't know, maybe go for a run and get the lay of the land," I replied. I really wasn't planning much of anything, but now that I said it I realized that a run actually sounded like a pretty good idea.

"Alright, well be safe and remember to call me later this week," Esme said.

"I will," I said.

"Oh, and thank you for not getting mud on my nice clean floors," Esme said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"How do you do that?" I asked.

"I wish I could say that it was mother's intuition, but really it's just my psychic daughter keeping me informed," Esme explained.

"Alice," I mumbled. One of the problems with her power is that she saw everything we did and she didn't hesitate to tattle. I swear she is worse than a five year old sometimes. At least this time I did something right.

"Lay off you sister, she just wanted me to know you were being respectful," Esme said.

"Fine," I sighed.

"I'll let you go so you can go enjoy your run," Esme said and I couldn't help but notice the joy in her voice.

"Okay," I said, and knew I sounded slightly confused. I was trying to figure out why my run would make Esme so happy.

"Bye Edward, don't forget to call," Esme said.

"I won't. Bye Mom," I said and hung up the phone. I shook my head to clear out the confusion and shoved my phone back into my pocket. I stood there for a minute trying to figure out if I should change. I had been wearing the same clothes for 2 days, but I decided to wait until after my run.

Seconds later I was down stairs in the living room getting ready to leave. I took a minute to admire the piano in the corner of the room. I have a piano in every one of our houses and each one was exceptional. I stroked the glossy, black finish and decided I would sit down and play when I got back. One of my favorite things is composing my own songs, but I haven't been able to do much of that lately. Hopefully the peace and quiet would help inspire me to come up with something new.

With thoughts of new melodies swirling in my head I made my way back to mud room to dig out the shoes I had just put away. Once they were on and I was ready to go, I cleared my head and left the house.

As I ran into the woods I took a deep breath and inhaled the cool, crisp air. It was June in Minnesota, so it was still slightly cool. Minnesota weather is ever changing, today was cool and probably 60 degrees tomorrow could be 80 degrees. You just never knew, and I enjoyed the unpredictability of it.

I ran faster and faster, trying to push myself to the limit. Words can't describe how wonderful and freeing it felt. My instincts kicked in and I stopped to hunt when I came across a herd of deer. I knew there was bigger game in these woods, but I was thirsty and the deer quenched my thirst.

When I finished I resumed my run, but minutes later I stopped again, this time for a completely different reason.

I was running and happened to come upon a small clearing. It wasn't the clearing with the pretty little yellow and purple flowers that stopped me mid-run. No, it was what was on the other end of the small space that had me frozen like the block of ice I was. There, sitting on a small boulder, was another vampire.

We watched each other intently; both trying to decide if the other was a threat. The first thing I noticed were her eyes, they were bright crimson red which meant she was new to this was of life. Moving from her eyes, I took in the rest of her and was startled by what I saw. Her hair was a rich brown color but it was tangled and dirty, the t-shirt and jeans she wore weren't much better as they were covered in a layer of dirt and grime.

The disheveled appearance of this vampire was strange, but it wasn't what worried me. No, what worried and confused me was the fact that she was silent; I couldn't hear a single thought. Never in the history of my gift have I come across someone with no thoughts, even when people try to block their thoughts I hear something. This was new and slightly disorienting.

She brought her knees up to her chest and started rocking back and forth. I sighed warily and stood from the crouch I hadn't realized I was in. The girl looked frightened and confused and I wanted to help her. As soon as I stepped forward she hissed, and I forced myself to step back again.

"Hi," I said as quietly and gently as I could. When she didn't respond I tried again.

"My name is Edward,"

Still nothing. I tried to step forward again, luckily this time she didn't hiss. It was a start. I was about to open my mouth to speak again when a ray of light from the setting sun hit her skin. If my heart was still beating it would have stopped. The girl on the rock was glowing and she was absolutely beautiful. When the sunlight melted away, I was finally able to find my voice again and I spoke.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I took another step forward, "I want to help you."

I took a few more hesitant steps, but when I noticed her recoiling into herself I stopped. We were still pretty far apart, but I didn't want to push her anymore than I already had.

"Are you alright?" I asked and then realized what a dumb question that was, as she was clearly not okay. Much to my surprise the vampire shook her head. It was the first real answer I had gotten from her and I was thrilled with the progress.

"Can you tell me what happened so I can help you?" I asked, but she just shook her head again. Her response was not all that surprising since we had only met a minute ago and she had no reason to trust me.

"Do you want to get cleaned up?" I asked.

No answer.

"My house is a few miles that way," I said pointing in the direction of the house, "You could come back with me and shower."

Again, I got no response.

"I am sure I could find something for you to change into as well," I said and still she did not answer. I realized I probably sounded a bit forward, but the urge to help this girl was getting stronger and stronger but the minute. I couldn't fight it. I had no idea who she was or what she had been through, all I knew was that I needed to help her.

Forgetting the situation I took another step forward. As soon as I did the girl was gone, and I cursed myself for being so stupid. I had pushed her too far and now I might never see her again. For some reason this thought made my dead heart ache. I was being foolish; there was no reason for me to feel pain over a complete stranger. I shook my head to clear it and decided to head back to the house. I knew there was a chance that the girl could still be nearby, so I decided to leave her with one last message.

"You can trust me."

I glanced around once more before taking off in the direction of the house. I ran at full speed, tuning out the sights and sounds around me and just concentrating on the run. It only took me a few minutes to get back to the house, and once there I ran straight inside without a backward glance. After a quick, hot shower I pulled on charcoal colored pajama pants and a grey tank top. I don't sleep, but it was comfortable, and what I wanted after the last couple of days was comfort. I threw my dirty stuff in the hamper and made my way downstairs to my piano.

Sitting on the hard piano bench gave me strange sense of comfort. Gliding my fingers over the keys I discovered the piano was badly in need of tuning. We hadn't stayed at this house in a while so it made sense that piano would be out of tune. I had gone through the process so many times in my long life that it only took minutes before everything was correctly in tune. I started out playing Claire De Lune; it was one of my favorites. Once I finished that I decided to play the song I had written for Esme. I got lost in the notes and the melody, so much so that I nearly fell backwards off the bench when the doorbell's shrill ring cut through the air.

As I stood I tried to figure out who could possibly be on the other side of the door. As far as I knew no one else lived in the area. I opened the door and was shocked when I saw the girl from the clearing standing there.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to booksxforxlife, sujari6, twilightvixxen, sandy4321, izzietwilightaddict91 for taking the time to leave a review it means alot. PLEASE REVIEW! If you do I will send you a reply and mention you in my next AN! THANKS :)**


	3. A Start

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Start

We stood there in silence, taking each other in for what seemed like forever. I could tell she was still trying to decide whether or not to trust me, while at the same time I was trying to figure out how to approach her without scaring her away. Finally, I decided to break the silence with something simple.

"Hi," I said. Once again I got no response, verbal or mental. I shrugged it off and tried again as her bright red eyes stay locked on me.

"Would you like to come in?" I moved aside so she could get by. The action turned out to be unnecessary since, instead of coming in, she stayed glued to her spot on the porch.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise," I echoed my words from earlier today and hoped they would sink in this time. I took another step back hoping that if I gave her some space she would feel more at ease and come in. This seemed to be the right thing to do, because she took a small step forward. I did an internal cheer of victory and took another step backwards.

We continued this strange dance of me stepping backward her stepping forward until she all the way in the house.

"I'm just going to shut the door," I said as I slowly walked forward and circled around her. Luckily this didn't frighten her and she stayed put. The only reason I shut the door was to keep the bugs out. It was summer in Minnesota so they were everywhere, and there is nothing more annoying than the buzzing of a fly or a mosquito. I shut the door and turned to face her. She was taking in the room around her, and I was pleased to see she looked interested rather than frightened.

"Would you like to get cleaned up?" I asked and she just stared.

"You can shower, and I am sure I can find something for you to wear," I explained, "I'm sure one of my sisters or my mom has something that will fit you." This caused her take a step back and I realized she probably thought they were there.

"They aren't here," I assured her, "I am on vacation and they are in Washington, but they left some clothes here."

"Would you like me to try and find something for you?" I asked. I watched as she thought it over and after a few minutes of internal debate she finally nodded.

"Okay," I said with a smile. "Why don't you relax, make yourself at home, and I will see what I can find."

I ran upstairs and searched through Alice and Rose's things but couldn't really find anything that I felt was right. All of Alice's stuff would be too small for this for this girl and all of Rose's stuff was to flashy, low-cut and tight. It was like a weird version of the three bears; Alice's stuff was too small, Rose's stuff was too slutty, but I figured Esme's clothes would be just right.

With that in mind I ran back down stairs. The girl was still standing by the door.

"My sisters' clothes weren't right, so I am going to look through my mom's stuff," I explained. I hurried into Esme and Carlisle's room and threw open the closet door. It didn't take me long to find sweat pants and a t-shirt. Clothes in hand I made my way back to the living room and was pleased to see the girl was now perched on the edge of the sofa.

"Here you go," I said as I handed her the clothes, "I will show you where the bathroom is and you can take a shower." We walked silently upstairs and I brought her to the guest room, which has its own bathroom. Thankfully the bathroom was fully stocked, so everything she needed was there.

After I show her where everything is and I explain how the shower works I leave her alone and head back down stairs. I headed back to my piano, and just as I begin to the play I hear the shower click on. I smile and go back to playing Esme's song. I tried to stay focused on that song, but a new melody started forming in my head and I stopped and started focusing on that instead. The new melody is quieter and more serene. I don't know what brought it on, but I also don't want to lose it. It's new and not really formed, but I can tell it will be amazing when I am done with it.

I stood up, flipped open the piano bench and grabbed some blank sheets and a pencil. In an instant I am sitting down writing the notes that have just popped into my head. I got so lost in the music and notes that I didn't hear the shower go off and I most definitely didn't hear the girl come down the stairs. When I looked up and saw her standing there I blinked in surprise.

"Hi," I said, "Feeling better?" She nods and I smile.

"Good," I replied, "where you listening to me play?" Again she nods.

"Would you like to hear some more?" I asked. Yet another nod.

"Okay, I wrote this one for my mother Esme," I explained. I started to play Esme's song, and as always I end up getting lost in the music as my fingers dance across the keys. After the last few notes died away I looked up and meet the girl's gaze. The girl has a wide array of emotions on her face ranging from awe to sadness. I opened my mouth to speak but she is out the door before I can utter a single syllable.

Sighing, I stood up and closed the door. The girl's sudden departure upset me in ways that it shouldn't.

I don't know her, I don't know anything about her, but I know I want to know her. I don't want her out there alone. There are rational reasons for that, of course. Whatever she came from must be bad if she is this freaked out, and if someone is after her I don't want her to have to face them alone. Also, she is new to this life and leaving a newborn alone is risky. I would hate for her to go on a killing spree because her blood lust got the best of her. Even though I don't know her, I had a feeling that would send her right over the edge. Then there are irrational reasons for me to want her here instead of out there as well. I feel drawn to her; it's something I haven't ever felt before and I want to explore it further.

I locked the door and turned back to the piano. I didn't feel much like playing anymore so I flopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote. We have hundreds of channels and after flipping through them I finally settled on some reality show. I don't really like that kind of thing, but it's kind of like an accident; it's horrible and I want to look away, but I can't.

There was a marathon on so I watched a few episodes before I lost interest and flipped to something else. I spent the rest of the night flipping channels and when the sun finally came up I ran up to shower and get dressed for the day.

When I reached the second floor I noticed the light in the guest room was still on. I headed into the room with every intention of flipping the light off and continuing on to my room, but I saw her clothes sitting on the bed and stopped. I wondered if she even realized that she left them here. I decided probably not as I picked them up and looked them over. They were full or dirt and grass stains. I stood there for a minute before I finally decided to take them downstairs and wash them. I didn't know if I would ever see the girl again, but if I did at least I could offer her some more clean clothes.

Once the clothes were in the washing machine I went back up to my room and showered. When I was done I pulled on a t-shirt and some jeans before heading down stairs to put the clothes in the dryer.

Even though I had hunted some deer the day before, I realized I was thirsty and needed to hunt. I threw on some shoes and headed outside. It was still pretty early in the morning, but I did manage to take down a few more deer and a coyote. I was forced to stop a few times during my hunt because I kept feeling like I was being watched. However every search of the woods proved that I was totally alone. Finally, I gave up and just headed home.

When I got back I was shocked to see the girl sitting on the porch steps. As I got closer I noticed that for some reason she looked weak. It was rare for a vampire to show weakness, but she was slumped on the step and when she lifted her head she looked like she was in pain.

"Hi," I said quietly as I walked slowly over and sat on the step next to her. She turned to face me and I could see she was once again having an internal debate with herself. I wished again that my gift worked on her and I could hear her thoughts.

"Are you alright?" I asked, hoping to help her along with her decision. After another minute she finally uttered a single word. It was the first word she had ever spoken to me, and it was a hoarse whisper but I was thrilled.

"Thirsty."

"You're thirsty?" I asked, and cursed myself because it was a dumb question. She nodded.

"When was the last time you hunted?" I asked. When I said hunt I was asking about humans or animals, she was newborn she had probably only tasted human blood. When she looked confused I elaborated.

"How long has it been since you have had any blood?"

"Never," she whispered.

"You've haven't had any blood since you have been changed?" I asked in shock, and she shook her head.

"Haven't you been around humans?" I asked. When she nodded I couldn't believe it. It's impossible for a newborn to control their blood lust and for her to have been around humans and not attacked was a miracle.

"How did you control yourself?" I asked, and she just shrugged. When she slumped forward another inch, I decided to put my curiosity on hold and help her.

"Come on," I said as I stood up, "Let's get you something to drink." I held out my hand to help her up but she didn't take it.

"You have to drink," I said gently, "We can go into the woods to find some deer." This time she took my hand and we ran at a slow pace into the woods. I couldn't help but notice how nice her hand felt in mine. I pushed that aside when I spotted some deer ahead of us.

"Wait here," I said as I dropped her hand and took off toward the deer. I took down two large deer and brought them back to her. When I dropped them at her feet she just looked at me, and it was clear she was nervous.

"It's okay," I urged, "Go ahead."

After another brief hesitation she bent down and sniffed at the deer. That was all it took before the predator in her took over. I watched as she sucked the deer dry in minutes before moving on to the next one. Once she was done she looked up at me.

"Still thirsty?" I asked and she nodded.

"Come on, let's find more," I said before we took off. Three more deer later she had finally had her fill. We buried the deer and then I took a look at her, she was once again covered in dirt. This time, though, she was also splattered with blood.

"Would you like to get cleaned up again?" I asked as she noticed the state of her clothes. She nodded and we took off for the house. When we reached the clearing that surrounded the house she stopped and looked at me.

"Thank you," she said with a small smile.

"You're welcome," I replied with smile of my own before we continued on into the house.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to** **Sweetie7smiled, TheLastRider, AllThereReallyIsToIt, Twisted Musalih, TwilightSVU, RobstenLover93, sandy4321, butterflykiss69, ellaryne, booksxforxlife, sujari6, the captains wife, Rainn74 and whoever left the guest review for taking the time to leave a review, it means alot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANKS :)**


	4. A Conversation

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Conversation

Once we were inside I raided Esme's closet again and found some more clean clothes for her to wear. As soon as she was in the shower I threw her dirty clothes in the wash and made my way to my piano. I was nearly done with my new song and was just putting the finishing touches on it when she came down the stairs.

"Hi," I said as I took my fingers off the keys and gave her my attention.

"Hi," she replied quietly. I was pleased to hear that her voice sounded stronger than it did before we hunted.

"Would you like to have a seat?" I said and motioned to the couch.

As soon as she was sitting I went to join her, but just as I was about to sit I noticed that I had gotten pretty dirty as well. I knew there would be hell to pay if I sat down on Esme's couch in dirty clothes.

"I'm going to shower and change," I explained, "but please stay." I ran up the stairs at vampire speed and pulled a clean shirt and some jeans out of my closet. After the world's quickest shower, I made my way back downstairs and sighed in relief when I saw her still sitting on the couch.

"You stayed," I said happily, and she smiled and nodded. I sat down next to her and we shared a few awkward moments of silence as I tried to decide what to do. Finally, I decided to break the ice with something basic.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Isabella," she said after a brief contemplative pause, "But everyone calls me Bella."

"Bella," I said trying it out. It certainly fit, seeing as Bella means beautiful. Bella's head dipped down as I said her name, and I swear if she had been human she would have been blushing.

"Like I said before, my name's Edward," I said and held out my hand, "It's nice to officially meet you." Bella gently shook my hand, and when she removed her hand I couldn't help notice the warmth that it left behind.

"I want to thank you for everything you have done for me," Bella said.

"It's no problem," I replied.

"You've done so much, and I feel like I should apologize," Bella said.

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"You said you were on vacation and I feel like I have totally interrupted that."

"You haven't, trust me," I replied.

"Are you sure?" she asked, not at all convinced.

"Yes," I said and gave her hand a friendly squeeze.

"Alright," she said, but she still didn't sound totally convinced. We were silent again for another few minutes. I desperately wanted to ask her where she came from and what brought her here, but I didn't want to upset her.

"Are you alright?" I asked deciding to start out slow.

"Yes," she replied, looking slightly confused.

"I don't want to pry, and you don't have to tell me anything, but it's pretty clear that something horrible happened to you," I said, "And since you are a newborn I am going to guess it has something to do with how you were changed."

"Yes," she whispered, looking nervous. It didn't escape my notice that her eyes flitted back and forth between me and the door.

"Again, you don't have to tell me anything," I said, "but I want you to know that you can trust me and I want to help you."

"I trust you," she said quietly, meeting my eyes. I swear if my heart had still been beating it would have stopped in that moment. When we finally blinked and broke the spell, Bella ducked her head and hid behind her hair while I looked at the window and tried to control my emotions. Never had anyone affected me as much as this girl.

"I…I was on vacation with my parents," Bella said, and I snapped my attention back to her.

"Go on," I urged.

"I was supposed to start my senior year of high school in the fall, so my parents and I were taking one last big vacation together before I started looking at colleges and stuff. We decided to go to Europe and it was amazing. We went to Paris, Ireland and Italy," she explained. Her voice got quieter when she said Italy, and my stomach clenched. I knew what was in Italy or, more accurately, _whom_. So I had a feeling where her story would lead, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"We were in this city called Volterra," Bella continued, confirming my fears, "We were sightseeing, and this lady came up to us and asked if we wanted to tour one of the historical buildings. She was beautiful, but her eyes were bright red. I was a little freaked out, but my parents wanted to go so we went. The lady ushered us along with a bunch of other people into a huge room with thrones in it. After that, everything happened so fast. All these people with red eyes came in, and they…they attacked."

Bella's eyes were glazed and her breathing was rapid. I grabbed her hand and gave it another squeeze to reassure her that she was safe now.

"I watched as two of them, a boy and a girl, grabbed my parents. They bit down on their necks and my parents screamed. God, I had never heard them scream like that, it was like being inside a nightmare and it seemed to last forever. I just stood there, frozen in fear and shock. Finally the screaming stopped, and they dropped my parents. They lay lifeless on the floor, and the two vampires stood and stared at me with frustrated looks on their faces. The girl called a man named Aro over. He had blood dripping down his chin and I tried to back away, but out of nowhere the boy was behind me."

At this point Bella was squeezing my hand hard, and because of her newborn strength it actually kind of hurt. I said nothing and let her continue, knowing she needed to get this out.

"The girl told Aro that her power didn't work on me, and the boy said the same thing. Aro looked intrigued and told them to leave us alone. They left and Aro took my hand, and after a minute he let out a truly terrifying laugh, dropped my hand and led me out of the room. He brought me to a bedroom, told me I would be a nice addition to his guard, and bit my neck."

"That greedy bastard," I growled.

"What?" Bella asked, looking truly shocked by my outburst.

"Aro is a greedy bastard," I replied through clenched teeth.

"You know him?" Bella asked looking terrified.

"Wait, please let me explain," I said in desperation as she stood. It took a minute, but Bella finally nodded and sat back down so I could explain.

"Thank you," I said as I sighed in relief.

"How do you know him?" she asked, and it pained me to see that she had moved away and put some distance between us.

"My creator, Carlisle, spent some time in Volterra before he found me," I explained, "Carlisle didn't agree with their lifestyle, so after a while he left. Carlisle hated the idea of taking a human life, so he chose to hunt animals instead. Carlisle has only tasted human blood four times in his hundreds of years in this life; when he changed me, his wife Esme, and my brother and sister, Emmett and Rosalie."

"Why did he change you?" Bella asked.

"I was dying of the Spanish Influenza, and Carlisle was my doctor. My human mother, who was also dying, begged him to save me. She could sense something different about him and knew he could help me. I was changed, and I have been with Carlisle ever since. It's the same with the others, they were all dying and he saved them."

"Wow," Bella said, looking amazed. I can't really blame her, because Carlisle's restraint and self control really are amazing. The fact that he is a doctor and spends most of his days around human blood still leaves me awed.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"How many people are in your family?" Bella asked, and I smiled when she scooted a little closer.

"Carlisle and Esme are the leaders, and even though they not that much older than me psychically they are like parents to me. Emmett and Rosalie are together, and I consider them my brother and sister. Alice and Jasper are also together, and I consider them siblings as well. We are a coven, but really we are more like one big, crazy family."

"So, you explained how Carlisle knows Aro, but how do you know him?" Bella asked as she bit nervously at her lip.

"Well, Carlisle and Aro still talk from time to time," I explained, causing fear to grace Bella's face once again. I quickly did what I could to change that. "When I say from time to time, I mean like once every decade."

"Oh," Bella said, looking slightly relived.

"Aro knows about our coven, and he has tried and failed to collect Alice, Jasper and myself," I said.

"Collect?" Bella asked.

"We all have gifts that he would love to have at his disposal," I explained, not even bothering to hide my disgust.

"Like what?" Bella asked.

"Alice can see the future. Jasper can feel and control the emotions around him, and I can read minds," I said.

"You can what?" Bella asked, looking more nervous than fearful.

"I can read minds," I replied, "Your mind, however, is the only one I have come across that I can't read."

"I guess whatever power I have works on you, too," Bella said, looking relieved. I am intrigued by her relief and want more than ever to know what she is thinking.

"You don't know what your power is?" I asked.

"It's called a shield," Bella said, "After Aro bit me and the excruciating pain stopped, I woke up and Aro told me I was a shield."

"I can only imagine how excited he was about that," I said.

"Yeah, he didn't even try to hide his glee," Bella said with venom in her voice, "He said he wanted me to guard him and his brothers Marcus and Caius."

"The only thing Aro fears is death, so he surrounds himself with vampires with gifts that can protect him," I explained.

"I was still pretty freaked out at that point," Bella continued with her story, "I was still trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened and I was trying to figure out what I was. Aro explained that I was a vampire and he figured I would be thirsty, so he sent someone out to get me something to drink."

"You didn't drink though, did you?" I asked think back to our hunting trip and how she told me she had never hunted.

"No, when they brought the person in that I was supposed to drink I held my breath," Bella said, "I didn't want to be a monster. I didn't want to kill somebody's loved one like they killed mine. Aro left me alone with my meal, and the second he left I grabbed the girl and ran. I dropped her off outside of town and kept running."

"So that's how you ended up here," I said, stating the obvious. I was in awe of how amazingly brave she was.

"Yes," Bella said as she began to sniffle. It took me a minute to realize she was trying to cry. I knew no tears were going to come but it was still incredibly heart breaking.

"It's okay, Bella," I said and wrapped what I hoped was a comforting arm around her.

"I can't go back there Edward," Bella sobbed, "I am terrified that they will find me."

"You are safe now," I said as I held her, "We will figure something out." The truth was Aro was one of the most unstable creatures I had ever come across. If he wanted Bella badly enough, there was no telling what he would do to get her back.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to:** **AshleyMasen, Twisted Musalih, haylee21, the captains wife, lechatfute, dcv, cullengirl08, ellaryne, sujari6, mikey1048, The Doctor Rose, iDriveLike-a-Vampire, twilight-saga-lover95, RobstenLover93, Sweetie7smiled, MichaelaShelynn, Rainn74 and the person who left a guest review for leaving a review it means alot. **

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	5. A Friendship

**I don't own Twilight**

A Friendship

After a few minutes of silence it was clear that we were done talking for the night. As Bella stood to leave, the thought of her going sent a surge of panic through me. It wasn't just the strange connection I felt with her that had me in a tizzy, either. Knowing that she was on Aro's radar, I didn't want to let her out of my sight.

"Wait," I said just as she reached the door.

"Yeah?" she replied as she turned back to look at me.

"Stay here," I said.

"What?" she said, and I could have sworn I saw hope in her eyes.

"After what you just told me, do you really think I am going let you go off on your own?" I asked.

"I don't want to impose," she said, but I could tell she was relieved I wasn't sending her away.

"Trust me, you are not imposing," I said with a smile.

"Okay," Bella said with a small smile of her own.

"You can stay in the guest room and you can borrow whatever clothes of Esme's you want," I said as Bella walked back over to where I was standing.

"Are you sure she doesn't care about me wearing her clothes?" Bella asked.

"Trust me, its fine," I replied. Esme had no idea that Bella was wearing her clothes, but I knew she wouldn't care.

"Well, if you say so," Bella said, "I just wish I had some of my own clothes."

"Well, after you have hunted a little bit more, maybe we could try to go shopping," I said.

"That would be great, but I don't have any money," Bella said sadly.

"That's not an issue," I assured her.

"I can't let you buy all my clothes," Bella protested.

"Bella, thanks to mine and Alice's gifts my family has acquired quite a bit of money over the years," I explained, "It really isn't a problem, I swear."

"Maybe just a few basic things that I can call my own," Bella agreed.

"Okay," I said with a smile. I showed Bella around the house and once she knew where everything was I left her alone to get settled in the guest room. I went to my own room and went to work reorganizing my music collection. A few minutes later I heard knock on my door.

"Come in," I called.

"Hi," Bella said sheepishly as she slowly walked into the room.

"Hey," I said with a smile as I put the CD I was holding on the shelf, "Did you get settled?"

"Yeah, I took some of Esme's clothes and put them in the guest room closet," Bella said.

"Okay, good," I said, and noticed she was eyeing the stack of books I had in the corner of my room, "Do you like to read?"

"Yeah," Bella said with a smile.

"You can take whatever you want," I said and gestured to the pile, "Carlisle has a whole library of them in his office that you are welcome to also."

"Really?" Bella asked looking happier than I had ever seen her.

"Of course," I replied, "This is your house now too; you can use whatever you want." Bella nodded and walked over to the books. I went back to sorting CDs while she took her time looking through the books.

"You have a lot of music," Bella said and I turned to see her looking at me with her arms full of books.

"Music is kind of my passion," I admitted, "When I was still human my mom taught me to play the piano, and ever since then I have been in love with music."

"I think that's great," Bella said with a warm smile that made my dead heart flutter.

"Thanks," I replied and I swear if I was human I would be blushing from embarrassment.

"Um, can I ask you something?" Bella said looking suddenly shy again.

"Anything," I said, probably with more enthusiasm than I should have.

"Um, how old are you?" Bell asked.

"Seventeen," I replied automatically.

"How long have you been seventeen?" Bella asked.

"I was born June 20, 1901, and Carlisle changed me in 1918," I replied and prayed I hadn't freaked her out too much.

"Wow," Bella said looking shocked, "Wait, does that mean I am not going to age?"

"Um, yeah" I replied.

"So, I am going to be like this forever and I am never going to die?" she asked.

"The only way a vampire can die is if it is ripped up and the pieces are burned," I explained.

"Oh," Bella said, and I could tell she was starting to freak out.

"Okay, why don't we do something else?" I said wanting to calm her down. Bella nodded but I could tell she was still freaking out so I gently grabbed her arm and lead her out of the room and down the stairs.

"Let's watch a movie," I said as I took the books out of Bella's hand and dropped them on the coffee table.

"Alright," Bella said, taking a breath to calm herself down. I opened the cupboard under the T.V. and turned back to Bella.

"Pick something," I said with a friendly smile. Bella nodded and sat down to scan the all titles on the different DVD cases. Bella settled on a comedy which I thought was the perfect thing to lighten the mood. I put the DVD in and we both flopped down in the couch. As the move wore on I could feel Bella relax little by little until she was laughing happily beside me.

Bella's laugh was infectious, and I found myself laughing at all the same parts she did. I absolutely loved seeing her so happy. After the movie ended Bella got up and put in another. When she sat back down she was so close that our arms touched. Warmth spread through me at her touch, and it was heaven.

After that night Bella and I started a routine of sorts. During the day we would go hunting and at night we would watch movies or Bella would read and I would play the piano. Little by little Bella came out of her shell; she was starting to become less embarrassed about asking me questions about my family and my past.

It had been a month since Bella had come into my life and shared her story with me and I still had no idea what I was going to do to help her. The problem was that Aro was so unpredictable I had no way to know what he was up to. He could have been putting together a vicious man hunt for her, or he could have given up on her altogether. There was no way to know.

All I knew was that I wasn't taking any chances. I rarely let Bella out of my sight, and the funny thing was instead of being annoyed like I thought she would, Bella actually seemed to be doing the same thing with me. I knew I was going to have bring my family into this soon, but I wanted Bella to be completely comfortable with me and this life before I introduced her to that craziness. We needed to take things one step at a time.

We were going to try to take one more step forward today by going shopping. Bella was doing great with her hunting and her eyes almost matched my own topaz eyes. I already knew Bella had great self control after her story of saving the human girl that was too be her meal when she was new born. We also spent the whole night hunting just to prepare for today.

I wasn't really worried but I knew Bella was, so I was doing what I could to reassure her while we climbed into my car.

"It will be fine," I promised as we buckled up.

"I don't know Edward. I haven't been around humans since I was changed," Bella said as she nervously pulled on a strand of her hair, "What if it's a huge shock and I lose control?"

"Bella, you were able to control yourself when you had just woken up and hadn't even hunted yet. I really think you will be fine," I said, "If the worst does happen I will be right there and I won't let you disappoint yourself."

"Promise?" Bella asked as she continued to play with her hair.

"I promise," I said as grabbed her nervous hand and gave it a squeeze, "I will pick you up and run away with you if I have to."

"Okay," Bella said with a smile, "Let's go." I nodded and began the drive to the nearest town. The town was pretty small so I wasn't sure exactly what we were going to find as far as clothes go. As it turned out, there wasn't really anything so we decided to go to the next town over, it was big enough to actually have a Target. I figured that was as good a place as any to get the basics Bella wanted and Bella agreed. It wasn't hard to find a parking spot and when we got out the car I could tell Bell was nervous again.

"It will be okay," I said as I opened Bella's door for her. Once she was out Bella grabbed my hand and held on tight. I wasn't about to complain.

We got to the door and Bella took a deep breath before they slid open and we walked inside. I grabbed a cart and we made our way over to the clothes. There were a few other women in the women's clothes section. Bella was tense and I could tell she still wasn't breathing.

"Bella it's okay," I whispered as she held on to my hand tighter and tighter, "Take a little breath, and if it's too much we can leave." I watched as Bella relaxed a tiny bit and took the smallest breath.

"Are you okay?" I asked because her face was so hard and her shield was still in full effect.

"Yeah," Bella said with a small smile as she began to relax, "I mean, my throat hurts but it's not terrible."

"See, I told you it would be fine," I told her as I squeezed her hand before letting go so she could go look around.

"Just stay close, okay?" Bella asked.

"Always," I said quietly with a smile. Bella smiled back shyly and for minute we just stood there. I was lost in her and could tell she was just as caught up in this. Unfortunately our moment came to end when someone bumped me and crashed the cart into the table next to me.

Bella shook her head and went to work picking out some clothes. Bella picked out jeans, t-shirts, sweat shirts, shorts and some long sleeve shirts. After that we went over the pajama section where she picked out some pajama pants to wear when we hung out at night. She picked out some new tennis shoes and some flip flops, and then there was only one thing left that she needed, underwear.

"Um, you can probably do this on your own, right?" I asked figuring she wouldn't want me around for this.

"You might as well come with me," Bella said and I knew she would be blushing if she could, "I mean you are going to see it when you pay for it, right?"

"Okay," I said because she had a point. I tried to be as gentlemanly and respectful as possible while Bella picked out her things but I couldn't help but notice the lacier things that she picked. Once Bella was ready we went to the check out and paid for her new stuff.

"Thank you," Bella said as we walked to the car with our hands full of bags.

"You're welcome, but I told you the money thing was no big deal," I said as I popped the trunk.

"I didn't just mean for the money, but for trusting me and having faith in me when I didn't," Bella explained.

"You're welcome," I said with a bright smile, "It wasn't hard, though, you need to have more faith in yourself."

"I am starting to," Bella said as she dropped a bag in the trunk and turned to face me, "because of you." Bella wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me. I gently wrapped my arms around her and reveled in her warmth.

"Thank you for being so amazing to me," she whispered.

"My pleasure," I whispered back and held her tight.

**AN: Happy New Year everyone! Thanks to me beta Jenn! Thanks also to: AlyNody0209, Rainn74, the captains wife, Sakura Crystals, twilight-saga-lover95, Sweetie7smiled, cullengirl08, ellaryne, 8thweasleykid, amberosia1, The Doctor Rose, MichaelaShelynn, haylee21, sandy4321, RobstenLover93, AshleyMasen, sujari6 and the person who left the guest review for leaving a review, it means alot!**

**Please Review! THANK YOU :)**


	6. A Setback

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Setback

After out trip to Target and our moment the parking lot, things between Bella and I changed for the better. When we watched movies at night she would rest her head on my shoulder. When we went for our runs together one of us would usually end up grabbing the other's hand. Then there were the glances we stole while I played the piano and she read.

It may not have seemed like much, but to me the little looks and touches were the highlights of my day. I was becoming more and more attached to Bella as the days wore on, and my feeling for her grew rapidly.

I was transfixed at the sight of Bella in the backyard, basking in the sun. Her skin shimmered with her natural glow, and it was breathtaking. I knew I wasn't going to be able to focus on my music any longer, so I stood up to join Bella. Just as I reached the door my cell phone rang and I groaned and cursed whomever was calling. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that it was Alice.

"Hello," I said, trying to hide my frustration.

"Why, hello brother of mine," Alice sang, "You sound upset. Did I interrupt something?"

"No," I lied.

"Yeah, okay," Alice said, clearly not buying it. It was then that I realized that Alice probably already knew about Bella, she had probably seen her coming. It would explain why she was happy when I left and why she was blocking her thoughts. That little pixie knew I was going to meet Bella before I even left, and she didn't bother to fill me in.

I figured that she probably told the rest of family the second I was out the door. It was infuriating to know that my whole family knew more about my personal life than I did. I guess this explained why Esme wasn't freaking out about my lack of phone calls lately.

"Did you need something, Alice?" I asked. I decided since she kept quiet about Bella so would I.

"Actually yes," Alice answered, "I did have a reason for calling."

"Okay, what's up?" I asked. Just as Alice was about to answer the door bell rang.

"Alice, can I call you back? Someone is at the door," I said already pulling the phone away from my ear.

"But Edward, that's…" was the last thing I heard before I hung up. I glanced at Bella and smiled; she was listening to my iPod as she lay in the sun and bopping her head to the music, totally oblivious to the outside world. I made my way to the door, wondering who the hell it could be. I figured it was probably a lost hiker or something. Fear gripped me for a second as I thought about Aro being on the other side of the door.

I made it to the door and hesitantly opened it. As soon as I saw who was on the other side I actually wished it would have been Aro. I would have rather faced him than this.

"Hello Edward," Tanya Denali purred.

"Tanya," I said as politely as I could through clenched teeth. Tanya was part of the Denali coven who my family considered cousins of sorts. They, too, lived the vegetarian life style, and Carlisle and their leader Eleazar were old friends. I actually enjoyed Eleazar and his mate Carmen's company; it was the other three women in the coven that I had issues with. Tanya, Irina and Kate were Succubae, and they loved men. When one of them set their sights on a man they usually got him.

Tanya, Kate and Irina had all set their sights on me when we first met. I wasn't interested, a point I thought a made clear. But Tanya was the only one of the three who couldn't take the hint.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with as much patience as I could muster.

"Well, Carmen was on the phone with Esme and I heard her say that you were here all alone," she explained as she ran her hand up my arm in what she probably thought was a sexy move. All it did was cause my skin to crawl.

"So?" I asked wanting more than anything to push her away and slam the door in her face. Unfortunately, Esme would kill me if I did that.

"I thought you might be lonely," Tanya purred and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"I'm not," I replied.

"Oh come on, Eddie, don't be shy," she said before pushing her way into the house. I shut the door and when I turned around I instantly noticed two things. One, Tanya was sitting on my piano in what I am guessing was suppose to be a sexy pose; all it did was piss me off. If her ass left a mark or a smudge there would be hell to pay. The second, and more import thing, I noticed was that the back yard was now empty. My iPod was lying on the ground and Bella was nowhere to be found.

Panic gripped me and for a second I couldn't move or think. Bella hadn't been out of my sight in the last month and now that she was I was terrified. I knew instantly that Tanya was the reason Bella had left. Either Bella was scared of the unknown vampire, or she got the wrong idea about my relationship with Tanya. Either way Tanya was to blame. If something happened to Bella, I would never forgive her.

"You need to leave," I seethed.

"Why Eddie, don't you want me here?" she asked.

"No," I replied.

"But Eddie…" she began before I cut her off.

"Look Tanya, we have been through this before. I don't want to be with you. You are my friend, and that is all that you will ever be; nothing romantic or sexual will ever happen between us. Now, I have bigger things to deal with and I need you to leave."

Tanya jumped off the piano with a pout on her face.

"Fine, I will leave for now," she said she walked to the door, "but I will get you to change your mind someday, Eddie."

"Yeah, no you won't," I said as I opened the door for her, "Oh, and Tanya, there is one other thing."

"Yes?" she asked looking way too hopeful.

"Don't ever call me Eddie again," I said and slammed the door. I watched as Tanya got in her car and drove down the driveway. As soon as I was sure she was gone I ran out into the backyard to search for Bella.

I stood in the middle of the back yard and attempted to pick up Bella's scent. It quickly became clear that that wasn't going to work. There was a warm summer wind blowing and I had a lot of scents wafting in my direction. Desperation overcame me and I ran into the woods. I didn't know where I was going, but it didn't matter because I had to find her. I ran until I got to the clearing where we first met. I scanned the area but there was no sign of Bella. I even went so far as to jump through the surrounding trees in case she was hiding in one, but there was nothing.

I kept running. I spent the rest of the day and night searching the woods and calling her name but I had no luck. The truth was Bella had a head start, and with her newborn vampire speed she could be anywhere, and if by chance she was still in the woods, there were thousands of places she could hide.

With crushing feeling of lose and despair weighing heavy on my heart I headed back to the house. As I ran I couldn't help but hope that she had changed her mind and would be waiting for me when I got back. I ran through the front door and called her name, but it was instantly clear that she wasn't there. All of the warmth that filled the house when she was there was gone; instead, it was cold and empty.

I was about to flop down on the couch and wallow in my misery but I noticed that my clothes were muddy from my run. The last thing I needed right now was a lecture from Esme, so I ran upstairs. I pulled out a clean pair of sweat pants and t-shirt and made my way into the bathroom. I took a long, hot shower before heading back to my room. I threw my dirty clothes on the couch, not wanting to deal with them at the time. I was about to leave the room when I noticed the books in the corner.

I walked over and picked up the top book on the stack. Bella had made quick work of the books in my room and had already moved on to the books in Carlisle's study. I held the book to my nose and inhaled. It smelled like her, like freesia and flowers. It overwhelmed me and I quickly dropped the book.

I paced the room trying to shake off intense feelings that were coursing through me. There was the anger for Tanya and what she did, fear for Bella, and overwhelming sadness at the fact that she was gone. Fear was quickly eclipsing everything else. Bella was alone and still adjusting to this way of life. I knew Bella was strong, but if she ran into Aro or anyone from his guard, it wouldn't end well.

I quickly squashed those thoughts, grabbed my dirty clothes off the bed, and ran downstairs. Once the clothes were in the washing machine I went back to the living room and walked over to my piano. I examined where Tanya had been sitting, and lucky for her there were no marks or scuffs.

I put my fingers on the keys and played the only song that was in my head, the song I had started the first time I had met Bella. It flowed through my fingers as I thought of her and all the time we had spent together. I thought about the first time she showed up and how excited I was that she trusted me. I thought about how brave she was when she told me her story. Most of all I thought of the way her head felt on my shoulder and the warmth of her hand in mine.

I had feelings for this girl, feelings I had never felt for another person, ever. Not in my vampire life or my human one. I can't lie; the intensity of the feelings scared the crap out of me. But, more than that, they thrilled me and made me feel complete. Bella made me feel complete.

Before Bella I was lonely. Even living in a house full of other people, I was lonely. I was missing something but I never knew what it was. The second I met Bella, I knew without a doubt she was what had been missing. When I saw her sitting on that rock in the sun my whole world righted itself.

More than anything I wanted to know if there was any chance she could return my feelings. Now thanks to Tanya, I may never know the answer. Tanya had always been a thorn in my side, but I dealt with it. After today, I was done with her. She ruined my chance at happiness and I didn't know if I could ever forgive her. The song came to a close and I realized it was the only time I had ever played it all the way through.

"That was beautiful," said a voice in the doorway.

I turned around and there she was.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: nadia alex, viola1701e, BelovedSunshine, the captains wife, AshleyMasen, Flavia Ribeiro, AlyNody0209, Rainn74, dcv13, The Doctor Rose, sandy4321, sasha, cullengirl08, haylee21, carmelia, sujari6, ellaryne, MythicalRift, twilight-saga-lover95, Sweetie7smiled, RobstenLover93 for taking the time leave a review it means alot.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	7. A Leap Forward

**I don't own Twilight**

A Leap Forward

Bella was standing in the doorway with a soft smile on her face. Seeing her not only standing there, but happy, lifted the weight that had settled on my chest.

"Hi," I sighed in relief.

"Hey," she replied as she stepped into the room, "That song was beautiful."

"I…um…wrote it for you," I stammered. If I were still human I would have been blushing.

"What?" she asked, clearly taken by surprise.

"The melody came into my head the first time I saw you," I explained, "It hasn't really left my head since."

"Wow," Bella said in awe, "Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before."

"I am just happy you like it," I said with smile.

"I love it," Bella replied.

"Can we talk about what happened today?" I asked. I hating ruining our lighthearted mood, but there was a Tanya-sized elephant in the room that needed to be addressed. I desperately wanted Bella to know that nothing had happened, and I wanted to do everything in my power to keep her from running off again.

"I am sorry I ran away," Bella said as her eyes left mine and took a sudden interest in her shoes.

"I am sorry about Tanya," I replied.

"Is that her name?" Bella said, and I could have sworn I heard bitterness in her voice.

"Yeah, she belongs to the Denali coven," I explained, "The Denalis are another vegetarian coven that we spend time with."

"So you trust her?" Bella asked, "She won't go to Aro?"

"No, she won't," I replied, "Honestly, she was so caught up in herself I don't know that she even saw you."

"Oh, I saw exactly what she was caught up in, and it wasn't herself," Bella said as she looked up at me with a sarcastic smirk.

"Nothing happened," I said instantly, "Tanya is a bit delusional."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"Tanya has always had a thing for me, and even though I have told her time and time again that I don't feel the same way, she doesn't seem to get it," I explained.

"Why don't you feel the same way?" Bella asked, "I mean, she is beautiful."

"I don't know. I have just never felt that way about her," I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

"You must have felt something when she ran her hand up your arm and when she splayed herself out on your piano," Bella said.

"Oh, I felt something alright," I said and ground my teeth at the memory, "Anger".

"Anger?" Bella said, and I could tell that is not what she was expecting.

"Yeah…I was pretty angry that she was sitting on my piano," I said, "I thought her ass was going to leave a mark." Bella looked at me with wide eyes for a second before she burst out laughing. It was a good thing she didn't have to breathe anymore because it was good five minutes before she calmed herself down.

"Oh my God Edward," she said, "you are hilarious."

"Thanks," I replied with a smirk.

"So how did you get her to leave?" Bella asked.

"Well, when I noticed you were gone, I panicked. I all but threw her out the door so I could look for you," I said, and my words sobered the last of Bella's giggles.

"I really am sorry I worried you," Bella said.

"I know," I replied softly, "But all I could think about was you being alone and Aro finding you."

"I was so stupid," Bella said, "Going off by myself was stupid, but I panicked, too."

"Tanya wasn't a threat," I said, "I know you didn't know that, though."

"Yeah, she was a threat," Bella said as she once again looked at her shoes, "just not the kind you mean."

"Then what kind was she?" I said quietly. I had a pretty good idea what Bella meant, but I needed to hear her say it.

"She could have taken you from me," Bella said so quietly I almost missed it.

"That will never happen," I said decisively. Bella looked up and met my eyes, and hers were full of emotion. I couldn't look away, and I knew she could see the same emotions in my eyes.

"Bella," I said as I took a step toward her, "I have never been as scared as I was today."

"Edward," Bella whispered as I took a step closer.

"I was frantic as I searched the woods," I continued, "The thought of never seeing you again nearly killed me." I took the last couple of steps and suddenly I was only inches away from Bella.

"I'm so sorry," Bella said as she rested her hand on my cheek. I knew if she could she would be crying.

"I know," I replied with a sigh as I brought my hand up to rest it on top of Bella's on my cheek. I let my forehead rest on hers, and we just stood there in front of the door holding onto each other.

"I know we haven't known each other very long, but I already can't imagine my life without you," I whispered, "I am drawn to you Bella."

"I know the feeling," Bella replied. Using my free hand I cupped Bella's chin and tipped her head up until it was level with mine. I kept my eyes on hers as I slowly lowered my mouth to meet her lips. They were soft and sweet, and felt like heaven against mine. Bella's hands made their way to my hair, and when she wound them in there and pulled me closer I instinctively moaned. My hands dropped to her waist and held her tight, afraid if I let go she would disappear.

When we finally broke apart she wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder. My hands stayed wrapped around her waist and we did what we could to calm our breathing. We didn't need to breathe, but the kiss still left us breathless.

"That was…," I managed.

"Yeah," Bella agreed. Once our breathing was under control Bella lifted her head and smiled at me. I gently pressed my lips to hers before taking her hand and leading her to the couch. We both flopped down and Bella rested her head on top of my chest, right on my silent heart. I lightly stroked her hair and we enjoyed the moment. Unfortunately, our moment was cut short with the ringing of my phone. I groaned and pulled it out of my pocket.

"Hello," I said.

"You're not going to hang up on me again, are you?" Alice asked from the other end.

"Sorry about that, but…" I trailed off as something occurred to me.

"Edward, are you still there?" Alice asked.

"Alice, did you know that Tanya was at the door?" I asked. Bella and I sat up and she grabbed my free hand and started tracing patterns on it. Her touch sent chills up and down my arm.

"Yep, that's why I called," Alice said, "I wanted to warn you."

"Okay, well I guess I learned my lesson," I said, "Never hang up on you when someone is at the door."

"Well, you shouldn't hang up on me ever, but I accept your apology," Alice said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"So, how are you Alice?" I asked because it had been awhile since we really talked.

"I'm good," Alice replied, "How are you, big brother?"

"Good," I replied as I smiled at Bella and lightly brushed my thumb across her cheek.

"Yeah, I bet," Alice said, and I could almost see her eyes rolling.

"Do you want me to hang up again?" I asked.

"No," Alice said with a sigh, "So, can I talk to her?"

"I don't know," I replied. I looked at Bella to see what she thought, and after a minute she hesitantly nodded her head.

"Okay," I replied, "I am going to give Bella the phone, but if you get too hyper or start to freak her out I will hang up."

"Fine," Alice agreed, but I could tell she was frustrated with me. I handed Bella the phone and squeezed her hand in encouragement as she slowly brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" Bella said quietly.

"Oh my God Bella, it is so great to finally talk to you!" Alice squealed loudly. Bella looked frightened so I grabbed the phone from her brought it back to my ear.

"Alice, what did I say?" I growled.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited," Alice said.

"Fine, just take it down a notch or ten," I replied before handing the phone back to Bella.

"Alice," Bella said.

"Sorry about before," Alice said quietly.

"It's okay," Bella replied.

"I'm just so excited for you and Edward," Alice said.

"Oh, well, thank you," Bella said.

"I can't wait to meet you, Bella," Alice said, "I just know we are going to get along so well." I just rolled my eyes, because of course Alice knew that. If she didn't she would be the worst psychic ever.

"I hope so," Bella replied.

"I know you aren't ready to meet us yet, but when you are just know that we are here for you," Alice said.

"Thank you," Bella said with a smile.

"You're welcome. Now go have fun with Edward," Alice said with a laugh.

"Bye," Bella said with a laugh of her own before she handed me the phone.

"Goodbye Alice," I said.

"Bye, Edward," Alice chirped, "Oh, and you better call Esme soon."

"I will. Thank you, Alice," I said before I hung up the phone.

"She seems nice," Bella said.

"She is; she just gets a little hyper sometimes," I said.

"I noticed," Bella said with a smirk.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I replied as I wrapped my arm around Bella's shoulders and she laid her head on mine.

"Don't be. I like her," Bella said.

"Do you think you might want to meet them soon?" I asked.

"Your family?" Bella clarified.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Maybe," Bella said and I could tell she was still pretty hesitant about the idea.

"Whenever you are ready," I promised, "There is no pressure."

"Thanks," she replied, "Will you tell me about them?"

"Um, sure. I can give you the basics and they can fill you in on their pasts when you meet them," I said, because they each had traumatic pasts.

"Sounds good," Bella said.

"Let's see. Carlisle is considered the head of our coven, but he is more like a father than anything else. He's a doctor, and he loves to read. Esme is Carlisle's wife, and she is very much a mother to the rest of us. She loves to garden and has a passion for interior design and remodeling. Alice is one of my sisters and she is married to Jasper. She loves to shop, and Jasper loves reading, mostly about world history. Rosalie is my other sister, and she is married to Emmett. Rosalie's greatest passion is herself, but she does have a fondness for children. If she could I know she would love to work with kids. Emmett loves sports of any kind and video games. The most important thing about my family is that they are fiercely loyal and protective of those they care about."

"Wow," Bella said as took it all in.

"I know I didn't give you much," I said as I played with a lock of Bella's hair, "They all have their own story about how they came into this life, but they are pretty personal so I think it's best that they tell you themselves."

"I understand," Bella said as she snuggled closer to me, "How about if we watch a movie?"

"That sounds like a great idea," I said. After Bella picked a movie and put it on she came back over and I pulled her onto my lap. We snuggled close and watched the movie, or tried to watch the movie anyway. We kept getting distracted by each other's lips.

It was heaven.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to:** **the captains wife, tina062093, purple1girl, Sakada Eve, Flavia Ribeiro, twilight-saga-lover95, sujari6, Sweetie7smiled, sandy4321, viola1701e, Midnight Angels Say GoodNight, cullengirl08,Raven Marcus, AshleyMasen, ellaryne, psychovampirefreak, Rainn74, The Doctor Rose, BelovedSunshine, RobstenLover93 for leaving a review it means alot.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	8. A Mate

**I don't own Twilight!**

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to twilight-saga-lover95 because in every chapter she asks me when Edward and Bella are going to realize they are mates. The wait is over my friend :)**

A Mate

After our first kiss, things between Bella and I changed. Any lingering shyness or awkwardness drifted away and we became lighter and happier around each other. We were still on guard for any traces of Aro or his guard, but for the most part we just lived in the moment and enjoyed being together. Our feelings grew every day, and so did our attachment to each other. If Bella even so much as left the room my chest started to ache and I longed to have her in my arms again. I knew that probably wasn't healthy, but I couldn't bring myself to care. There was only one problem, and her name was Alice.

I knew she meant well and I knew she was only trying to look out for us, but enough was enough. Bella and I may have been alone in the house, but we were never truly alone because Alice was always watching us. She called frequently to talk about trivial things she had seen in our future that she felt the need to comment on. Why did Bella wear that outfit? Why did we choose to watch that dumb movie? It was getting to the point where Bella and I were afraid to do more than kiss, because we thought Alice would get a vision then call and tell us what we were doing wrong.

I loved my sister, but sometimes her and her power were a pain in the ass. It was with that in mind that I picked up phone and dialed her number.

"Hi," she chirped after one ring.

"Hi Alice," I replied, "We have to talk."

"What's up?" she said still chipper as always.

"You mean you don't know?" I asked, "You didn't see this coming?"

"I can turn it off sometimes," Alice said, sounding slightly offended.

"I know. That's why I am calling," I said, and smiled as Bella walked into the room and sat down next to me.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"I mean, I want to take Bella somewhere this weekend and I don't want you looking into our futures," I explained. Bella raised her eyebrows in surprise at my words. "We want some time alone."

"You are alone," Alice said.

"Not really sis," I replied.

"Edward, you know why I do it," Alice said, "You know I am only watching out for Aro and his guard."

"I know, and I appreciate that. But we just need some time to ourselves," I said.

"Alright, alright," Alice agreed, "Have a good time with your mate."

"Thanks Alice," I said before her words really registered in my mind.

_My mate._

In startling moment of clarity it all made sense. Bella was my mate. I had seen mates before, of course; I happened to live in a house full of them. I never actually believed I would find one of my own, though. It explained why I was instantly drawn to her, why I felt protective of her from the start, and why I couldn't bear to be away from her for even a minute. I already knew that I loved Bella, but this was bigger, more powerful, and more right than anything I had ever experienced in my life.

Now I suddenly liked the idea of taking Bella somewhere for the weekend even more.

"Goodbye Edward," Alice said, breaking me out of my epiphany.

"See you Alice," I replied and hung up.

"So, where do you want to take me?" Bella asked as she picked up my hand and started tracing invisible patterns on it.

"I don't really know, but I figured we could both use a change of scenery," I said.

"It might be nice," Bella agreed.

"Hmm, we could go to Duluth," I said, "It's not that far."

"Sounds good to me," Bella replied.

"Alright. Why don't you go pack a bag and I will meet you in the garage in ten minutes?" I said. Bella nodded, gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and we headed upstairs. Once I was in my room I quickly packed a bag and made a reservation at a place called Beacon Point for a 2 night stay. It looked nice and had great views of Lake Superior. While I was online I also checked the weather for the weekend and saw that it would be cloudy, which was perfect. Bella was waiting in the car when I finally made it to the garage.

"What took you so long?" she asked with a smirk. I was exactly one minute late.

"I was making reservations," I replied.

"Why?" Bella asked.

"I know we don't need to sleep, but I thought it would be nice for us to have a place to stay for the next two nights," I explained.

"Okay," Bella said with a smile.

"Ready?" I asked as I took Bella's hand.

"Yep," Bella replied as she squeezed my hand.

With my driving, it didn't take us long to get to Duluth, and before we knew it we were pulling into our resort. I checked us in and we made our way upstairs to an upper level suite. It actually was very nice; there were two bedrooms, one with a bed and one with a pull-out couch in it. The bed in the pull out couch was already pulled out, and it didn't look too comfortable. There was also a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a living room with breathtaking views of Lake Superior. We also had a deck.

Bella opened the door to the deck and we could hear the waves crashing on the rocks. It was an amazingly peaceful sound.

"Can we go down on the rocks?" Bella asked.

"Of course," I replied. We threw our bags in the bedroom with the actual bed and made our way down to the rocks. We walked hand in hand over the uneven rocks and Bella started to laugh.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I was just thinking that if I was human I would have already wiped out on these rocks," Bella said, "especially in these flip flops."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was a klutz," Bella said, and she looked a little sad. I realized she was probably thinking of her human days and her parents. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and she smiled.

I found a flat rock and sat down. Bella sat down between my legs and then laid back to rest against my chest. We sat there for hours, watching the waves and enjoying the muggy heat. Even though it was cloudy, it was still very humid, a sure sign that a storm was on the way. I hoped it would hold off until the weekend was over, but it wasn't likely.

"Hey Edward," Bella asked, breaking the silence. Much to my disappointment she also sat up and turned so she could face me.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"What's a mate?" she asked.

"What?" I asked in shock. Bella's question had caught me totally off guard.

"When you were on the phone with Alice, she told you to have fun with your mate," Bella said. "What did she mean?"

"A mate is a vampire thing," I explained. "When a vampire falls in love, the person they fall in love with becomes their mate. It's a strong and powerful feeling and when it happens, it's for life."

"Wow," Bella replied in awe, and I was relieved to see that she looked more intrigued than scared.

"Yeah," I said.

"So, your family…they're all mates?" Bella asked.

"Yes. Alice and Jasper are mates, Emmett and Rosalie are mates, and Carlisle and Esme are mates," I said.

"But you never…" Bella began but then trailed off.

"No," I replied.

"Not with Tanya?" Bella asked.

"God no!" I said with a shudder of disgust, "I think actually liking the person is required when it comes to being mates." Bella smiled and then rested her head on my shoulder. I could tell she was trying to work through everything, so I quietly watched the water and gave her the time she needed. It only took a couple of minutes before she spoke again.

"So, does Alice think…? I mean, are we…?" she began. It was obvious she was having a hard time wrapping her head around all of this. I couldn't blame her; I had known about mates for over a hundred years and I was still trying to wrap my head around the intensity of it all.

"I think so," I replied quietly, "I can't imagine the things I feel for you being anything else."

"What do you feel for me?" Bella asked.

"I have been drawn to you since the first time we met in the clearing. I feel the need to protect you at any cost. I ache for you when you so much as leave a room. You make me happy and you bring a light and warmth to my world that I have never known before. I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Edward," Bella said as she reached up to rest her hand on my cheek "It's part of why I was so scared at the beginning. You walked into the clearing and I was hit with a rush of feelings so strong it overwhelmed me. You were a stranger, but I wanted you. To be with you, to be near you, and it scared the crap out of me. But it makes sense now. I know I had those feelings because you are my mate."

Bella's words elated me and my lips crashed down on hers. Bella moaned and I pulled her onto my lap. Our kiss became frenzied as we got caught up in the feelings and emotions that were so close to the surface. We only broke apart when a man walking by cleared his throat and brought us back to reality. I had become so lost in Bella that I momentarily forgot we were in a public place.

"We should go back to the room," Bella said breathlessly. I nodded and helped her up. We quickly made our way up the rocks and back to our room.

As soon as I shut the door Bella lips were on mine and we were stumbling toward the bedroom. Our hands moved at vampire speed and by the time we reached the bed our clothes were gone. I picked Bella up and gently laid her on the bed.

"Edward," Bella said, suddenly shy, "I have never done this before."

"I haven't either," I replied.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," I replied as I gently kissed her, "We can go slowly." Bella nodded and I brought my lips down to hers once more. My lips traveled from her mouth to her neck. I kept going lower until I finally reached her chest. I cupped one of her full breasts in my hand and lowered my mouth to the other. I swirled my tongue around her perky nipple and Bella moaned and grabbed my hair to pull me closer.

I felt her other hand stroke my hard length and I let out a moan of my own. I nudged her legs open with my knee and moved so I was right at her entrance. I didn't know if it hurt to lose your virginity as a vampire, so I pushed forward slowly. Bella enveloped me in her tight, wet, heat and it was glorious.

"Are you okay?" I managed to breathe out once I filled her completely.

"Yeah," Bella was breathless, "It doesn't hurt." I looked at her face and saw nothing but pleasure, so I started to move. I started out slow but it soon became clear that that wasn't going to be good enough for either of us. I was frenzied, and Bella met me thrust for thrust.

"Bella," I moaned as she wrapped her legs around me and I went even deeper.

"Edward,…I…I…" Bella moaned loudly and buried her face in my neck as she let go and clamped down around me. That was all it took to send me over the edge. I held Bella even tighter as my climax hit and wave after wave of pleasure crashed over me.

"I love you," I said as I came down from the high and held her close.

"I love you too," Bella replied, sounding relaxed and happy.

Needless to say, we didn't leave the room for the rest of the weekend. When Sunday rolled around neither of us wanted to leave, but also knew we couldn't live in the resort forever. We reluctantly packed up and went to check out.

While I took care of the bill, Bella looked at some tourist brochures and saw one for The Glensheen Mansion that she liked, so we stopped and took the tour on our way home. It was a beautiful house, but the story behind it was a little horrific. The Congdon family used to live in the mansion, and one night Elisabeth Congdon and her maid were murdered. The maid was bludgeoned with a candle stick and Elisabeth was smothered with a pillow. Elisabeth's daughter, Marjorie, and Marjorie's husband, were the murderers. They didn't talk about the murders on the tour, but Bella and I read about them in the brochure.

As soon as the tour was over and we had visited the gift shop, we headed back to the car and started the drive back to the house in the woods. We were about half way there when it started storming and my phone rang.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: 8thweasleykid, viola1701e, Twilighter930, AshleyMasen, The Doctor Rose, twifreak461, the captains wife, 01katie, BelovedSunshine, sandy4321, sujari6, twilight-saga-lover95, yellowporscheowner96, Midnight Angels Say GoodNight, DaFi123, RobstenLover93, cullengirl08, teambellaedward for leaving a review it means alot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	9. A Phone Call

**I don't own Twilight**

A Phone Call

Lightning flashed across the sky in front of us as I grabbed my ringing phone from the cup holder next to me. When I saw it was Alice I almost didn't answer; my conscience got the better of me though. If I didn't answer and something horrible had happened I would have never been able to live with myself.

"Hello," I said, trying to hide my frustration.

"I know, I know… I wasn't supposed to call," Alice said, letting me know I hadn't hid my frustration very well.

"No, you weren't," I agreed.

"Look, I wouldn't have called, but it's an emergency, so just shut up and listen," Alice said in a panic and I was suddenly on alert.

"Alice, what's going on? What's wrong?" I asked as I grabbed Bella's hand and gave it a squeeze. Without even knowing any details, she looked as worried as I felt.

"Jane and Alec were here," Alice said just as a loud clap of thunder shook the car.

"What did they want?" I asked between clenched teeth as I pulled over to the side of the road. Between the downpour and the turn of this conversation I decided driving was not a good idea at the moment. Once the car was stopped I looked over at Bella. She had her arms wrapped around her body and she was shaking with fear. I quickly pulled her over the arm rest and onto my lap.

"They…they were looking for Bella," Alice answered quietly and Bella stiffened in my arms.

"Alice, what the hell happened?" I asked, trying to remain calm for Bella's sake.

"Okay, first of all take a breath and calm down," Alice said, "It's not as bad as you think."

"Excuse me?" I asked in disbelief, "How could that possibly not be as bad as I think?"

"They don't know that we know Bella," Alice explained, "All they did was ask if we had seen any new vampires in the area. Any newborn vampires."

"So, they didn't say Bella's name specifically?" I asked.

"No, but it was pretty clear that was who they were looking for," Alice replied.

"How do you know?" I asked in desperation, "Bella can't be the only newborn the Volturi is worried about."

"Jane said they were looking for a female newborn that had run away from Volterra," Alice explained, and I could hear the bitterness in her voice. "They said she was dangerous and she needed to return to Volterra before she hurt anyone."

"What bullshit!" I spat while Bella buried her face in my chest and I rubbed her back in what I hoped was soothing circles. Bella was on the brink of a breakdown and I wanted to do anything I could to prevent that.

"I know, but it's the Volturi. What would you expect?" Alice asked.

"So, what did you tell them?" I asked.

"I didn't tell them anything about Bella," Alice said, but I felt no relief.

"What did you tell them?" I repeated my earlier question.

"We told them that we have not seen any female newborns in the area," Alice replied, and I could tell by her voice that she was holding something back.

"What else?" I asked.

"Okay," Alice sighed, "When Jane and Alec showed up they said they had just been to see the Denali coven. Tanya told them she had just been to see you, and that you had company."

"Okay, screw being a gentleman. The next time I see Tanya I am ripping her head off and rolling it down the nearest mountain," I growled.

"Trust me, I'll be right there with you, throwing her body in the nearest ocean" Alice said.

"Thanks for having my back, sis," I replied and then sighed, "So they know Bella is with me."

"Actually no," Alice said, "Jane said that Tanya told them the woman you were with wasn't a newborn, because she didn't have red eyes."

"Oh, well that's good then, right?" I asked.

"Yes, but Edward, they are still coming to see you," Alice said, and Bella started sobbing. "They are checking with everyone they know to see if they can get a lead on their supposed runaway, and since you weren't here they are coming to find you."

"I'm sure Tanya told them exactly where to find me," I gritted out, "Do you know when they will be here?"

"They just left here, so I would assume they will be there in a day or two," Alice said, "Edward, is Bella okay?"

"No," I replied as Bella sobbed and held onto me for dear life.

"I'm so sorry Edward," Alice said, and if it was possible I knew she would be crying too.

"It's not your fault Alice," I said.

"It is though, because…because…" Alice trailed off unable to finish her sentence. It was as if the words were too painful for her to speak, and that did nothing to calm my nerves.

"Because why, Alice?" I asked.

"I didn't see it coming," Alice whispered.

"What do you mean?" I asked in shock.

"Edward, when I opened the door and saw Alec and Jane I was actually surprised," Alice said, "I didn't get a vision of them coming, or even thinking about coming, and I have been watching the Volturi closely."

"What does that mean?" I asked, knowing I really wouldn't like the answer.

"I…I think the Volturi know how to get around my visions," Alice said.

"Shit!" I cursed.

"Yeah," Alice agreed.

"Okay listen, we will figure this out, I promise. But right now Bella and I need to get somewhere safe," I said as I looked down at my frightened mate.

"Where are you going to go?" Alice asked.

"I don't know, but we have to get away from here," I said, "I'll call whenever we get to where we are going."

"Be safe Edward," Alice said.

"You too," I replied before hanging up and turning my attention to Bella.

"Bella love," I said softly as I tipped her chin up so her eyes would meet mine, "It's going to be okay, I promise."

"How can you say that?" Bella asked and the look of terror on her face broke my heart. The truth was, I didn't know how this was going to turn out and I was just as scared as Bella. I couldn't think of anything more frightening than the Volturi getting around Alice. This meant that they now had the element of surprise, and that could be deadly.

I quickly squashed down my anxiety, because I needed to stay strong for the trembling girl in my arms. The last thing Bella needed was to see my fear.

"Do you trust me, Bella?" I asked as I held her tight.

"Yes," Bella whispered as she sat up to look at me.

"Then you need to trust that I am not going to let anything happen to you," I said fiercely as I brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" Bella asked, and I was pleased to see she was starting to calm down.

"Well, we can't go back to the place in the woods," I said, "So we are going to have to go somewhere safe, and once we do we can regroup and come up with a plan."

"What about your family?" Bella asked, "If Jane and Alec can't find you, won't they go back to your family?"

"They might, but my family won't know where I went, and hopefully that lack of knowledge will keep them safe," I said, and hoped more than anything I was right. The last thing I wanted was my family getting hurt because of me. We were all skilled fighters, and I knew my family was more than capable of protecting themselves. The problem was, Jane and Alec could decide to use their gifts and my family wouldn't stand a chance. I couldn't let myself think the worst so I shook my head and turned back to Bella.

"I'll call Alice and check in once we get somewhere safe," I said.

"Okay," Bella replied.

"Hey," I said as I took her face in my hands, "I'm not going anywhere. We will get through this together, okay?"

"Okay," Bella said again as she rested her forehead against mine. "I love you, Edward."

"I love you too Bella," I replied before pressing my lips to hers. Our kiss started off soft and light but turned hurried and passionate as we clung to each other. As much as I wanted to continue the kiss and see where it led, I knew we needed to go. Reluctantly but gently, I pulled away.

"We will finish that later," I said and gave Bella's hand a squeeze.

"Yes we will," Bella said with a squeeze of her own.

"Now we really do have to go," I said. Bella sighed and climbed off my lap and over the arm rest so she was back in the passenger seat. Once she was in her seat I put the car in drive, flipped the wipers on, and we took off in the downpour that was going on around us.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked.

"We can't go to any of my family's other houses because there is a good chance the Volturi know about them and will look for me there," I said as I thought about where we could go that was safe.

"We could go to my house in Arizona, but they might know about that one too," Bella said, "I mean, they could have found my parents' IDs or something, and if they did that would have been the first place they would have looked for me."

"You are right," I said, "If they did know where you lived they would probably keep tabs on it even you weren't there."

"Where else can we go?" Bella asked.

"I do have another house," I said while cursing the rain. I wanted to go at my usual speed but because of the rain I couldn't risk it. The last thing we needed was to hydroplane and crash the car.

"How many houses do you have?" Bella asked, sounding shocked.

"My family, or me personally?" I asked, and looked over in time to see her incredulous expression.

"Um…you?" Bella said and I could tell she was a little overwhelmed.

"I only have one," I replied, "It's the house I grew up in. My home when I was human."

"Oh," Bella said quietly.

"When my parents died, I inherited it. My parents' will stated that all of the family assets would remain in a trust in my name when they died, since I was their only child," I explained, "Technically I died shortly after they did, but the trustees automatically kept up with tax payments so that the state wouldn't claim it. It took some doing, but with Jasper's help we managed to have the deed put in my name. I obviously couldn't live there after Carlisle changed me, but I could never bring myself to sell it, either."

"So, you haven't been there since you were human?" Bella asked with sadness in her voice.

"Carlisle and I went back once," I said, "I packed up everything that was important to me, and we left."

"Won't it be hard for you to go back there?" Bella asked.

"No, I think it's been long enough that it won't hurt," I said, "You don't have to worry."

"Of course I do," Bella said as leaned over and gave me a quick sweet peck on the cheek, "You worry about me, and I worry about you. That's how it works."

"Alright," I said with a small smile. We were silent for a while after that. We both stared straight ahead at the rain hitting the road in front of us, wondering what the near future would bring. A half hour later the rain finally slowed down and turned to a drizzle. I was finally able to speed up and drive at my normal pace.

"Edward, look," Bella said as she pointed at the passenger window. I glanced over to where she was pointing and saw a rainbow painted across the sky.

"Do you think it's a good sign?" Bella asked.

"I hope so," I said, and pulled her so her head was resting on my shoulder, "We need all we can get."

"Yeah, we do," Bella agreed, and I kissed the top of her head.

"Edward, you never told me where we were going," Bella said as she snuggled into me.

"Chicago," I replied and hit the gas.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: emily444, miski, Chandrakanta, NorthmanCullen, purple1girl, 01katie, , bellababy16, sandy4321, The Doctor Rose, ellaryne, the captains wife, viola1701e, cullengirl08, pumpkinmykitty, Flavia Ribeiro, Midnight Angels Say GoodNight, twilight-saga-lover95, 8thweasleykid, yellowporscheowner96, RobstenLover93, twifreak461 for taking the time to leave a review it means alot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	10. A Family

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Family

Our Drive from Minnesota to Chicago was blessedly uneventful. We only stopped once when we both desperately needed to hunt, so we made it there quickly. I pulled up in front the small brick house and hopped out of the car to open Bella's door.

"Edward, this place is great," Bella said as she took in the surroundings.

"Thanks," I replied. We walked around to the trunk to get our bags. Since all we had were our small duffle bags from our weekend away, a shopping trip was going to be in order soon.

We made our way up the sidewalk to the house, and I unlocked the front door and led Bella into the house, then immediately locked the door. I knew a locked door wouldn't stop a vampire, but it still made me feel safer.

"Okay," I said as we stood in the entryway, "The living room is on the right, kitchen is straight ahead, and down the hall on the right is a bathroom and guestroom. Upstairs there is another bathroom, my room, and the master bedroom that belonged to my parents."

"Wow," Bella said as she walked in and looked around, "If you are never here, how does this place stay looking so nice?"

"I have hired people over the years to take care of it," I explained, "They clean and update or replace anything that needs to be updated or replaced."

"Oh, but how does that work?" Bella asked, "Don't they get suspicious when you don't age?"

"Whenever I needed to get in touch with one of them I did it on the phone," I said.

"Smart," Bella said with a smile.

"I have my moments," I said with a smirk before leaning down and stealing a quick kiss.

"Seriously though," Bella said as she rested her forehead on mine, "I think this house is wonderful."

"I'm glad you like it," I said as I took her hand and led her to the stairs, "We can put our stuff in my room."

We walked up the short flight of stairs and then I steered Bella in the direction of my room. It was pretty sparse; there was a bed, bedside table, and dresser. There were a few odds and ends on the dresser; coins, a few books, and an old baseball. The bedside table held a picture of me and my parents.

Bella zeroed in on the picture and made a beeline for it. It was a simple picture really, just the three of us sitting on the front step.

"Is this you and your parents?" Bella asked as she picked up the picture and dusted it off.

"Yeah," I replied as I walked over and looked over her shoulder at the picture, "I think I was nine or ten."

"You look a lot like your dad," Bella said as she outlined my face in the picture with her finger.

"I know, but I have the same hair and eye color as my mom," I replied, "You just can't tell because it's black and white."

"You all look so happy," Bella said with a smile.

"We were," I replied quietly as I stared at the smiling faces of my parents and my younger self.

"Edward, I'm sorry. It must be hard for you to look at this," Bella said as she flipped the frame over. "Maybe we should put it away."

"No, that's okay, leave it out," I said as I gently took it from her and set it back on the table.

"Are you sure?" Bella asked as she pushed me on the bed and sat on my lap.

"Yes," I replied and kissed her forehead.

"Why didn't you take it with you when you came with Carlisle to get your things?" she asked.

"I took all the other pictures of us, but I left this one because I wanted a piece of us here, in case I ever came back," I said, "Does that makes sense?"

"Yes, it makes perfect sense," Bella said before her lips found mine. Our kiss wasn't hungry or frenzied but slow and loving which was exactly what we both needed. I lowered Bella to the bed and started leaving lazy kisses up and down her neck while she pulled my shirt over my head.

Bella's shirt joined mine and I moved from her neck to her chest. I kissed the spot over her now silent heart and reached around to unhook her bra. Once that was out of the way I went to work on her breasts.

Each one got ample attention before my mouth continued its journey down. I kissed my way down her stomach and undid her jeans so I could go lower. I pulled her jeans and underwear down, and once they were gone, Bella was completely bared to me. I picked up where I left off and moved from her stomach to where she was wet and throbbing for me. I swirled my tongue around her now swollen clit and thrust a finger into her at the same time.

"Edward," Bella moaned as she clutched the sheet. I added another finger and sped up my ministrations. Bella moaned and bucked, and soon it became too much. I had to taste her. My tongue replaced my fingers and sent her over the edge.

Once Bella came down from her high I removed the rest of my clothes and hovered over her.

"I love you Bella," I whispered.

"I love you too," she said as she wrapped her arms around my neck and brought my lips down to hers. Without breaking the kiss I nudged her knees farther apart with my legs and lined myself up with her. Bella raised her hips and took me into her hot, wet, core.

I started out slow but it was clear that wasn't going to be enough for either of us. I wrapped Bella's legs around me and went faster. Bella met me thrust for thrust and soon the room was filled with our moans.

"Baby I'm close," I panted.

"Me too," Bella replied breathily

"Touch yourself baby," I ordered.

Bella reached down and started rubbing her clit and as soon as she did I felt her walls started to flutter around me. The sight of her touching herself and the feeling of her walls closing around me like a vice was my undoing. Bella moaned my name and I moaned hers as she rode out her climax and I emptied myself in her. Once we had come down from our highs we laid there and held each other.

Went spent the next couple of days in bed just talking and making love. We probably would have stayed there for a few more days, but the doorbell rang.

"Are you expecting someone?" Bella asked nervously as we hurried to put our clothes back on.

"No," I replied.

"You don't think they found us, do you?" Bella asked as bit her lip nervously. I wanted nothing more than to kiss the lip she was worrying, but I settled for grabbing her hand and leading her out of the room.

"I don't know," I replied, "If they did, I promise I will protect you no matter what."

"I know," Bella said as she gave my hand a squeeze, "You know I would do the same for you right?"

"Yes," I said as stopped in front of the front door. I gave Bella one last kiss and reached for the door knob. I opened the door a crack and peeked out, and when I saw who was on the other side I breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door all the way.

"Hello Son," Carlisle said with a smile as he stood there with the rest of my family.

"Hi Carlisle," I replied as Esme hurried forward and latched her arms around me in a death grip.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, I have been worried sick about you," she said, "Why haven't you been answering your phone?" I cringed as I realized my phone had been on silent in my pants pocket on the floor of my room for the past few days.

"Did you, or did you not, promise to call when you made it here?" Esme asked as she pulled away and gave me the scary mom look that she had perfected over the years.

"Okay, yes I did promise to call, but I was…um…busy," I replied nervously.

"I bet you were," Emmett piped up, and I looked over in time to see the smirks on his and Jasper's faces. I shot Rose a look and she promptly smacked Emmett on the back of his head, which effectively wiped the smirk off his face.

"I'm really sorry I didn't call, Esme," I said, "It was carless of me, especially now when we have so much to worry about."

"Okay, that's better," Esme said as the glare turned into a smile, "Now introduce us to Bella."

I glanced down at Bella, who looked a little shell shocked. Not surprising given how overwhelming my family can be. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pulled her close, and was relived to feel her relax at my touch.

"Bella, this is my family. Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice," I said and pointed to each one as I said their names, "Everyone, this is Bella, my mate."

"Hi," Bella said quietly, and I could the nerves in her voice.

"Come here, dear," Esme said with a warm smile as she wrapped her arms around Bella. "It's so wonderful to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Bella replied.

"Welcome to the family," Esme said as she pulled away.

"Thank you," Bella said, and I could tell Esme's words meant a lot to her.

"Hello Bella," Carlisle said as he stepped up, "I know you have suffered a terrible loss and for that I am truly sorry. Just know that we are all here for you, and we are all very happy to have you join our family."

"Thank you," Bella said as she wrapped her arms around Carlisle. Carlisle and Bella shared a brief hug and when they stepped back Emmett came barreling up and picked Bella up in a bone crushing hug.

"Hey little sis," he boomed, "Thanks for finally making our little Eddie a man."

"Emmett," Rose and I yelled in unison.

"What?" Emmett said innocently as he set Bella down. Rose took the opportunity to swoop in and wrapped her arms around a now thoroughly embarrassed Bella.

"I'm so sorry about my idiot of a husband," Rose said, "What he meant to say was he is very happy you and Edward found each other."

"Thank you," Bella said with a smile.

"I'm very happy my brother finally found someone to love," Rose said as she pulled away, "And I'm excited to have you as my new sister." I was slightly shocked by Rose's heartfelt speech, but I was very grateful that she was being so welcoming to Bella.

Alice ran up to Bella with a squeal and threw her arms around her.

"It's so nice to finally see you in person!" Alice gushed.

"Um…thanks," Bella said, and it was clear she was unsure of how to respond to Alice.

"We need to go shopping soon," Alice said, and I saw a look of terror appear on Bella's face.

"I don't really…I mean, I am not much of a shopper," Bella said.

"Well, seeing as you and Edward came straight here from your weekend away and you basically only have the clothes on your back, I would say it's a must," Alice said.

"Ok, okay," Bella said.

"Edward can come with us," Alice said as she gave Bella's hand a squeeze. As much as I hated shopping with Alice, I could tell the mention of me going cheered Bella, so I couldn't argue.

"Thank you Alice," Bella said looking much happier. Jasper approached Bella last and gave her a quick hug.

"I can feel how happy my brother is and I know that is all because of you, so thank you," Jasper said.

"You're welcome," Bella said sincerely. I pulled Bella back to me and felt a sense of calm wash over me when she was back in my arms.

"Why don't we go inside," I said, "You guys can get settled and we can talk about what we are going to do." Once we were all settled in the living room I looked around at my family. Bella was sitting next to me, and for the first time I felt like my family was complete.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: dreamiedreamer, Chandrakanta, fanactic23, dreamiedreamer, 01katie, IGOTEAMEDWARD, BelovedSunshine, sujari6, drea55, x123, Sweetie7smiled, emily444, sandy4321, viola1701e, Flavia Ribeiro, twilight-saga-lover95, psychovampirefreak, The Doctor Rose, EdwardBellaRenesmeCullen, NorthmanCullen, the captains wife, Midnight Angels Say GoodNight, twifreak461, cullengirl08, RobstenLover93, pumpkinmykitty and the person who left the guest review for leaving a review, it means alot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	11. A Missing Person

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Missing Person

As I sat with my family and Bella in the living room, a wave of relief hit me for the first time as I realized that my family was actually here, and safe. In particular, I was relieved that Alec and Jane hadn't gotten to them. That feeling left as quickly as it came, though, and was replaced with a crushing guilt; for the last couple of days I had been so wrapped up in Bella that I hadn't even given my family a thought. I hadn't thought about their safety or their worry for mine. I felt like the worst son and brother ever.

The problem was this mate thing. It was so new and all-encompassing for me that I didn't have a handle on it yet. I wasn't used to being so wrapped up in one person. All I wanted to do was lose myself in Bella and shut out the rest of the world. I was going to have to learn how to deal with that, because I couldn't shut out my family again. Especially now, when we had the Volturi breathing down our necks.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, and seven sets of vampire eyes turned to look at me.

"What are you sorry for, son?" Carlisle asked.

"For shutting you all out, for not calling, for not worrying about you like I should have," I replied and looked around the circle so I could look them all in the eye. Bella's eyes were the last ones I met, and I noticed she was starting to look a little guilty as well.

"Oh Edward," Esme sighed, "I'll admit I was upset when you didn't call, because you are my son and I worry about you, but I also have a mate, so I understand where your head is right now."

"We all do," Alice said with a smile.

"Yeah, we get how, um… _intense_ it can be when you first meet your mate," Emmett said with a smirk.

"What Emmett means is that we get how all-consuming it can be to find your mate," Carlisle said, "Bella's the most important thing to you now, and we understand."

"You just have to work on finding a balance," Jasper said, "It might take some time, but you will get there."

"I was just thinking that" I said "I thought I was supposed to be the mind reader."

"I have my moments," Jasper said with smirk.

"I really am sorry, and I will try to work on that balance," I said to everyone.

"We will work on a balance," Bella said as she gave my hand a squeeze.

"We," I agreed with a smile.

"You two are nauseating," Emmett said.

"Oh, don't even go there Emmett," I growled, "You and Rose were way worse."

"No we…" Emmett began.

"Yeah, we were," Rose cut him off. Emmet's thought's turned to his first few years with Rose and I cringed as I was bombarded by visuals I really didn't need.

"Bella I have something I want to say to you," Emse said, and I could feel Bella's hand tense in mine.

"Okay," Bella said quietly. I could tell she was nervous but she didn't need to be because Esme's thoughts were nothing but happy.

"Thank you," Esme said with a warm smile.

"What?" Bella said in surprise.

"Edward is happier than I have ever seen him, and I know that is because of you, so thank you," Esme said.

"You're welcome," Bella said, and I could hear the smile in her voice, "Edward makes me happy, too."

"I know," Esme said with smile, "I am so happy my son finally found someone to share his life with."

"Thanks Mom," I replied.

"I was starting to worry," Esme said.

"I know you were," I said as I reached across the coffee table and squeezed her hand.

"Okay, enough of this mushy stuff," Emmett said effectively ruining the moment "We need to figure out what to do about the terrible twosome and the rest of the freak show known as the Volturi."

"Did you guys ever see Jane and Alec again," I asked, knowing they were the terrible twosome Emmett was talking about.

"No," Alice replied, "Right after I called you I had a vision of you coming here."

"We knew would be safer if we were all together, and we didn't want to stick around long enough for Jane and Alec to show up again," Jasper explained.

"Yeah, I'm guessing they were less than happy when they couldn't find you," Rose said.

"I can't believe they came looking for me," Bella said in a scared whisper.

"Aro can be very driven when it comes to something he wants," Carlisle said, "Unfortunately, what he seems to want is you."

"All because of my stupid power," Bella grumbled.

"What exactly is it about your power that has Aro so intrigued?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know," Bella replied, "All I know is that it is a shield, and Alec and Jane's powers don't work on me."

"Can you shield another person?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know," Bella replied, "I've never tried."

"Well, if you like I can work with you on your power so you can figure it out and find out how to control it," Carlisle offered.

"Thank you," Bella replied.

"First things first, though," Alice said with a gleam in her eye that I didn't trust.

"Alice," I growled as I read her mind, which confirmed that I was right about where her head was.

"What you guys need are clothes," Alice whined, "You only have three outfits each, and that includes pajamas."

"No shopping," Bella cringed, "Please, Alice?" I could tell Bella was still overwhelmed with having my whole family here, and I knew a shopping trip was the last thing she needed.

"Alice," I said softer with a meaningful look at Bella.

"Fine," Alice sighed, thankfully taking the hint. "Bella, give me your sizes and I will pick some stuff out for you."

"Thank you," Bella said gratefully.

"Don't go crazy," I warned Alice.

"Fine," Alice replied, but I knew better than to believe her.

"So, wait," Emmett said, "Are we staying here then?"

"Well, I don't think we can go home yet, so yes," Carlisle said, "We are staying in Chicago."

Staying in Chicago with Bella and my family sounded like a good idea, but after two weeks of being cooped up with them I was starting to go a little nuts. I think the biggest problem was the lack of space. Usually the houses we live in have at least three stories and we all have our own rooms or at least we have room to move around. That was not the case in my small Chicago house.

Bella and I continued to share my room while Carlisle and Esme took the master bedroom. It was a little strange seeing my second set of parents occupy that room, but after a while I got used to it and in a weird way it was like coming full circle.

Alice and Jasper took over the guest room and Rose and Emmet invaded the living room. It was cramped and the biggest problem was that Alice and Rose didn't travel light. When they first showed up and we unloaded everything from Carlisle's car and Emmett's jeep, I was stunned by the amount of suitcases. I probably shouldn't have been surprised, seeing as I've lived with Rose and Alice for the past few decades, but I thought they might have cut down when they were on the run. When I voiced these thoughts, Alice glared at me and said you never knew what could happen, so you needed to be prepared for any fashion situation.

Unfortunately there wasn't enough room for all everything and now their crap was everywhere. Not all of Alice's stuff fit in the guest room closet, and Rose didn't have a closet at all, so walking through the living room was like walking though and obstacle course of clothes.

To top it all off I hadn't been alone with Bella since they arrived, we weren't even alone in our room because thanks to vampire hearing my family could hear everything we said or did. I was on the verge of losing my mind.

"I need to get of this house," I said as flopped down on the bed and rested my head on Bella's lap.

"Going a little stir crazy?" Bella asked as she started to stroke my hair.

"Oh yeah," I replied.

"Well, we just went hunting so I don't know where we could go," Bella said. The only time any of us left the house now was to hunt and we always went in pairs. We still hadn't figured out how the Volturi could get around Alice's powers so we couldn't rely on her visions, therefore no one went anywhere alone.

"We could go shopping," I said.

"You _are_ desperate," Bella said with a laugh.

"Yep," I agreed.

"Well we did want to get some comfier clothes," Bella said and I nodded. Rose and Alice had gone shopping for us but the clothes they came back with were a little dressier then we wanted. I mean, we weren't even leaving the house, so why we needed dresses and dress pants was beyond me. Bella and I really wanted some jeans and sweats.

"Oh, and you still need to get Alice a new bra," Bella said with a smirk and I just rolled my eyes. I had walked into the living room the other day and stepped on a bra. I didn't know whose it was, I just knew it belonged to one of my sisters and I really, really didn't need to see my sister's bra. I picked it up and threw it out the front door, it happened to be raining and by the time Alice found the bra it was muddy, gross and ruined. Needless to say she threw a fit and informed me I would be buying her a new bra.

"So do you want to go?" I asked.

"Sure," Bella replied with a smile. We grabbed what we needed and headed downstairs where the rest of the family was.

"Bella and I are going shopping for a few things," I said, which was unnecessary given that they heard our entire conversation.

"Do you have your phones?" Esme asked. I pulled mine out of my pocket and Bella pulled the one Esme and Carlisle had given her out of her purse. I knew Bella wanted to protest when they gave the phone to her, but when they explained that it was for emergencies and they would feel better if she had it, she was grateful.

"Alright, be careful," Esme said.

"We will, and we won't take too long," I said as grabbed my keys and ushered Bella out the door. We got into my Volvo and I drove us to the nearest mall. It didn't take long, and soon we were walking the around the mall searching for sweatpants. We had already stopped at Macy's and bought a few pairs of jeans.

"I think I can get some sweats there," Bella said, pointing to the Pink store that was connected to Victoria's Secret.

"Okay," I replied, "I can probably get some at the Sears over there."

"Why don't you go get yours and I'll get mine and then we can meet back here?" Bella said.

"I'm not leaving you alone," I said.

"Edward…I...I kind of want to pick out something at Victoria's Secret that I can wear for you," Bella said, and I knew if she could she would be blushing.

"Really?" I said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I've never worn anything like that before, but you make me want to," Bella said as she reached up and pressed her lips to mine.

"Alright," I said when we broke apart, "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

"Okay," Bella said with a happy smile, "Oh, I'll get Alice's bra, too."

"Thank you," I said with a happy smile of my own, "I love you."

"I love you too," Bella said with one last kiss before she walked into the store. I hurried over to Sears and bought a couple of pairs of sweat pants. When I got back to Victoria's Secret, I looked at my phone and saw that I was early, so I waited outside the store for a few minutes. I quickly got antsy and made my way into the store. I started in the Pink store but Bella wasn't there, so I made my way over to the Victoria's Secret side. Bella wasn't there either, but I didn't let myself panic yet because I knew she could still be in the dressing room.

I made my way back there but stopped when I stepped on something solid and heard a crunching noise. I looked down and all the panic I was holding back welled up. Bella's purse was lying on the floor; her phone, which must have fallen out, was next to it shattered, thanks to my foot.

"Can I help you?" a voice said, and I turned to see a saleslady standing next to me.

"My girlfriend was in here and I can't find her," I said and bent down to pick up Bella's things, "These are hers."

"What does she look like?" the lady asked.

"Brown hair, dark eyes, about 5'4, and she wearing a khaki skirt and dark blue top," I said, "Her name is Bella."

"Oh, yes I remember her," she said and I felt a spark of hope, "I helped her in the dressing room and then she came back out here to browse."

"Did you see her leave?" I asked.

"No, I'm sorry. I went to help another customer," she said.

"Ok, thank you," I replied.

"I'm sure she just set her purse down to look at something and forgot it," the lady said.

"You are probably right," I agreed because I had just picked up Bella's sent and was eager to get away from this lady.

With all the humans in the store it had taken me a few minutes to pick out Bella's. My dead heart clenched and fear froze me when I realized her scent was mixed with two other scents.

The scents belonged to Jane and Alec.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Chandrakanta, Angelus Draco, twilightlover5432176, JLS0823, Flavia Ribeiro, 01katie, viola1701e, cullengirl08, IGOTEAMEDWARD, dreamiedreamer, emily444, jadedghost22, ratih choco, psychovampirefreak, twilightvixxen, the captains wife, sandy4321, sujari6, RobstenLover93, ellaryne, twilight-saga-lover95, Mireads, pumpkinmykitty for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	12. A Kidnapping

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Kidnapping

I don't know how long I stood there, frozen with fear and panic, but when someone bumped into me as they were walking through the store I was jolted awake and jumped into action. I picked up on the three scents again and followed them out of the store. Their scents wound through the mall and led to an exit; after a gulp of air to make sure I was on the right track, I pushed open the door. I ran through the parking lot as fast as I could without drawing unwanted attention.

"Damn it," I moaned when I reached a parking spot and the trail ended. They were gone. A small part of me registered that, but the rest of me couldn't accept it as I frantically sniffed the area for any sign of them. I refused to believe that Bella was gone; we had just found each other. If I let myself believe I had lost my mate after so many years of waiting, I would lose it. The pain and heartbreak would cripple me completely, and nothing and no one would be able to bring me back from the dark edge.

I needed Bella in order to survive, so surrender was not an option. She was not gone, and I would search the ends of the earth until I found her. I knew that I was going to need some help in order to find her, and I wasn't going to shut my family out again, so I pulled out my phone and dialed.

"Hello," Alice's voice chirped on the other end.

"Alice…I…she…" I couldn't form the words that would make this nightmare a reality.

"Edward, what is it?" Alice asked, her voice quickly turning from to chirp to concern, "What's wrong?"

"She's gone," I whispered.

"Oh God!" Alice sobbed, and it was clear that I didn't need to use Bella's name for her to understand who I was talking about.

"How? What happened?" she asked.

"Alec and Jane," I replied knowing that would be all the explanation that was needed.

"Goddamn it! How are they getting around me? I didn't see this at all," Alice said, and I could hear the pain and guilt in her voice.

"I don't know Alice," I said, my voice losing all emotion as tried to stomp down my own pain. "I need help. Can you all come down here?"

"We are on our way," Alice said, "Edward, wait for us. Don't go off and do something stupid."

"I won't," I promised, "I'll wait for you, but please hurry."

"Okay," Alice said and hung up. I wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and let my pain take over, but I knew that wouldn't help Bella. So instead I sniffed around the rest of the parking lot to see if I could pick up on anything else. I couldn't, and by the time my family arrived I was discouraged as ever.

"Edward, I'm so sorry," Esme said as she hurried over and threw her arms around me. I let some of my pain sneak out as my mom held me, but by the time she pulled away I had locked it up again.

"I know, Mom," I replied.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked.

"I went into one store and she went into anther, and by the time I got back she was gone. I went into look for her and found this," I said and held up Bella's purse. "I asked the sales lady if she had seen Bella, she said she had helped Bella, but then she had to help another customer and she never saw Bella again. I picked up on Bella's scent when I was talking to the sales lady, and when I picked up Jane and Alec's scents I followed them out here. If there hadn't been so many humans in there I would have picked up on the scents sooner. I didn't hear their thoughts either, because I was in another store and there were so many other thoughts from all the other people in the mall."

"Edward, you did everything you could. This isn't your fault," Jasper said, but I shook my head in disagreement.

"I shouldn't have left her alone," I said and started pulling at my hair in frustration, "I mean, she wanted to surprise me so she wanted a few minutes in the store alone. I didn't want to go along with it, but I did anyway because she seemed so happy."

"Edward, look at me," Rose demanded, "You blaming yourself isn't going to help Bella, so you need to stop now so we can come up with a plan."

"Okay," I agreed, even though I still blamed myself.

"It may help if you all can try to catch their scent where I lost it. I am not the greatest tracker, so maybe one of you can pick up on something I missed." They agreed and we went to the parking spot where I lost their track. Luckily no one had parked there and we were able to gather around the spot. To anyone passing by I'm sure we looked strange, but I was past the point of caring. It didn't matter anyway, because my family wasn't able to pick up on anything new.

"What do we do now?" Emmett asked.

"I think," I said as the only logical conclusion came to me, "I think we have to go to Italy."

"Are you kidding?" Emmett asked.

"No, Edward's right," Alice said, "Aro is the one who wants Bella, so the only place Jane and Alec would take her would be Italy." An icy fear crept up my body at the thought of Bella in the hands of a mad man like Aro, but I pushed it down and let determination take over.

"We have to leave now," I said.

"I just booked tickets for the next flight, which is tonight," Carlisle said as he put his phone away, "Let's go get ready."

"Thank you," I said as we hurried over to our cars.

"Bella is family now, and we will do whatever it takes to find her and bring her home," Carlisle said. The rest of my family nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," I said again as I got into the Volvo and they got into Emmett's jeep. As soon as I closed the door to my car I was enveloped in Bella's scent and it nearly did me in. I gripped the steering wheel so tight I nearly snapped it in half and I had to hold my breath for a minute to calm myself down.

"Bella, I'm coming," I vowed once I got myself under control. I started the car and began the journey that would hopefully bring Bella back to me.

BPOV

I was in the back of a car; at least I thought it was a car. I was blind folded so for all I knew it could have been a van or a truck. I was also handcuffed with steel hand cuffs and my feet were bound together with steel chains. In short, I was not going anywhere. The cuffs and chains were barely necessary, because my fear was already paralyzing me. All I could do was sit here and wonder how this happened. All I wanted was to surprise Edward with a little lingerie; I never imagined it could have turned out like this.

I had found a very cute dark blue baby doll top with white lace around the bottom, straps and bust and white bow right under the bust. There was matching pair of little blue panties to go with it. It wasn't very risqué, but it was cute and I knew Edward would love it. I had tried it on and was leaving the dressing room when Alec and Jane came out of nowhere. I dropped the outfit on a nearby table and tried to leave, but they ended up on either side of me and I was trapped. Jane leaned in and whispered in my ear that I needed to walk with them and not make a sound, or Edward would pay the price. I did as they asked, and before I knew it we were out of the store. I remember glancing at Sears as we walked through the mall and thinking about Edward and how I might never see him again.

As soon as we were outside the mall Alec put the blindfold on me and led me to a vehicle. They pushed me inside, chained me up, and drove away. I was pulled from my thoughts when one of their phones started to ring. I was actually surprised that they had cell phones, because the Volturi in general gave the sense of being very medieval and not advanced technologically.

"Hello," Jane said from the passenger seat. There was a long silence, and I assumed that whoever was on the other line was talking.

"Yes, we have her," Jane replied, and I shivered in fear because I knew she was talking about me. There was another pause that was probably only a minute, but to me it seemed much longer because it was my fate they were discussing.

"Yes Aro, of course," Jane said, "We will bring her to you as soon as we arrive." Jane ended the call then and I had to fight the urge to scream. I had known from the beginning where they were taking me, but a small part of me had hoped it wasn't true. Now I knew for sure that I was on my way back to Italy.

The thought of facing Aro and the Volturi again haunted me every moment of the trip, and I knew it would be even worse this time, because Aro would be enraged over my escape.

"Is Aro pleased?" Alec asked from the driver's side.

"Yes," Jane replied, and I could almost see the sinister grin that was most likely on her face. Suddenly I felt movement next to me, and I tensed as I realized someone or something was in the next seat. Jane and Alec were both in the front, so I had no idea what or who was next to me and that only increased my fear. The rest of the ride was silent, but every once and a while I would sense movement next to me, causing me to go rigid. I was pretty sure it was a person, but I couldn't smell him or her so I didn't know for sure. When the car stopped I heard Jane and Alec's doors open and close before mine was opened and I was pulled out.

I was carried a short distance before they walked up some steps and set me down again. This time I was in some sort of soft chair. A few minutes later a loud rumble filled the air and I quickly realized it was a plane engine; we were in a plane on our way to Italy. I rested my head on the seat and tried to think of anything I could to distract myself from my impending doom.

Edward's face filled my mind and I nearly smiled. Edward had found and saved me, for that I would always be grateful. My feelings for him were scarily intense, but amazingly perfect at the same time. I loved him more than I ever thought possible, and I knew he was the best thing that had ever happened to me. His family was amazing, too; Esme and Carlisle made me their daughter before they even met me, and Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper where the brothers and sisters I had never had. I spent the entire flight thinking about Edward and my new family, who I would probably never see again.

When the plane landed I was carried into some sort of vehicle and we started driving again. The drive wasn't too long, but once again I got the sensation that someone was sitting next to me. When we stopped I was picked up yet again and carried into a building I recognized as the Volturi castle; I may have been blindfolded, but you never forget the smell of death. After a minute my blind fold was ripped off and I was dropped on a cement floor.

"Welcome back, Isabella." I looked up into Aro's blood red eyes and my fear consumed me.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: sandy4321, the captains wife, viola1701e, RobstenLover93, emily444, Flavia Ribeiro, muffinmom, cullengirl08, swiftie121389, twilight-saga-lover95, psychovampirefreak, 01katie, pumpkinmykitty for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	13. A Disaster

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Disaster

BPOV  


"I'm not very happy with you, Isabella," Aro said while his bright red eyes bore into my gold ones.

"I'm…I'm sorry," I whimpered as fear made its way to down my legs and I had to fight to keep my knees from buckling.

"I'm sure you are, my dear," Aro replied in a sickly sweet voice, "But, what's done is done. The important thing is that you are back where you belong." I wanted to disagree, but the small rational part of my brain that was left knew that was a bad idea, so I kept my mouth shut and nodded.

"Now, we need to make sure nothing like this ever happens again," Aro continued with a wicked gleam, "Isabella, there is someone I would like you to meet." Just as those words left his lips the door to the throne room opened and I watched as a male vampire around my age came in and stood next to me.

"Hello master," the young man said as he shook his shaggy brown hair out of his blood red eyes.

"Thank you for joining us, Ethan," Aro said before he looked back towards me, "Isabella, this is Ethan."

"Hello," Ethan said, and I just nodded my head.

"We discovered Ethan in much the same way that we discovered you," Aro said, looking way too pleased, "He came in for a tour of the castle and, well, you can probably guess what happened next. Ethan is gifted beyond anything I have seen before. Not only can he block any power, he can also absorb powers. Even shields." I looked over at the boy and saw a real sense of pride beaming from him. I took a step to the side to distance myself from him in case he tried something.

"Ethan actually accompanied Jane and Alec on their little trip, and proved to be most helpful," Aro said, "It was nice to not have to worry about Alice Cullen's power."

"You are the reason Alice's visions haven't been working?" I asked the boy.

"Yep," Ethan answered with a smirk.

"Wait," I said as something occurred to me, "Were you sitting next to me in the car when I was blindfolded?"

"Yes I was," he replied with a wicked gleam in his eye that caused me to shiver in disgust, "I had to stay close so I could shield you from Alice's power."

"Moving on," Aro said, clearly getting annoyed with our conversation, "Ethan, I need your help to insure that Isabella won't disappear again."

"I don't get it," I said, "If you have him with his all power, than why do you need me?"

"You can never have enough protection," Aro said, and I figured that was probably true for him, seeing as he as he mostly likely had a long list of enemies.

"What do you need me to do?" Ethan asked.

"Felix and Demetri will help escort Isabella to her room, and then you do whatever necessary to ensure her loyalty," Aro said as Felix and Demetri walked into the room.

Felix and Demetri picked me up and I started to thrash and kick, but even with the newborn strength I had left it was no use. The two of them combined were stronger than me, but I still fought as Aro's creepy laugh echoed around the room. I continued to fight as they carried me out of the room and up a flight of stairs. Once we made it to a room at the end of the hall, Ethan, who had been walking beside us, opened the door.

Felix and Demetri threw me down on a bed with probably more force than necessary before leaving the room and slamming the door shut.

"Felix and Demetri are right outside the door, so don't even think about running," Ethan warned me as he circled the bed and me like the predator he was.

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked as he studied me like I was a lab rat there for his experiments.

"Oh, there are so many possibilities," he replied with a smirk, "I acquired a few new powers during my trip with Alec and Jane."

"What kind of powers?" I asked trying to buy time.

"Yeah, like I am going to tell you," Ethan said with a roll of his eyes.

"What? I figured you would want to brag," I said.

"Maybe later," he replied.

"Well, first things first. Let's get rid of your shield," he said, and I could actually feel my shield being lifted off of me.

"There. Now let's have some fun," Ethan said with the same evil smirk he had on earlier. As soon as he said that my entire body froze and I could not move.

"You will notice that you are unable to move," Ethan said, stating what I considered the obvious, "That would be Alec's power. Now that I know you really aren't going anywhere, I can begin," Alec said, and I desperately wished I could scream.

Ethan's POV

A few hours later I walked into the throne room to find Aro tell him of my success.

"Ah…Ethan, you have returned," Aro said, "I trust things went well."

"Yes master," I replied, "It was more of a challenge than I expected, but I was successful."

"Tell me," Aro said, and I knew that meant he wanted details.

"I incapacitated her with Alec's power, and used Chelsea's power to try to sway her alliance with the Cullen's. It mostly worked, but there was the issue of Edward Cullen. Apparently the two of them are mates, so I was not able to break her alliance with him."

"I thought you said you were successful," Aro growled in anger.

"I was," I replied, "When I was with Jane and Alec I ran into a vampire with the power to erase other people's memories. I now also have that power. I used it on Bella, and she now has no memory of the Cullen's or Edward. I used Chelsea's power again after that to make sure her alliance was with us. It now is."

"Excellent," Aro said, clasping his hands together with a satisfied smile.

"The only problem is that the powers I used were mind powers, so if she has her shield back on they may no longer work. I am still blocking her shield and can continue to do so, but I need to be within a few miles of her in order to do it. I won't leave the castle, and we have to make sure she doesn't either."

"Oh she won't be going anywhere," Aro assured me with a wicked grin.

EPOV

I sat in my uncomfortable plane seat and bounced my knee up in down, impatient as for the plane to go faster.

"Do you see anything yet?" I asked Alice who was sitting next to me.

"No. I'm so sorry Edward," she replied. I was about to snap at her, but when I turned and saw how worn out she looked I kept my mouth shut. I knew she was trying her best, and it wasn't her fault but my fear for Bella had me acting irrationally.

"It's ok Alice," I said and patted her arm in what I hoped was comfort.

"Bella's going to be okay, Edward," Esme said from behind me, "She is a fighter." Esme squeezed my shoulder in her version of comfort and I just nodded. Esme was right; Bella was a fighter, and I had to hold on to that. I tried to distracted myself by watching the in-flight movie, but that ended up being a wasted effort when I realized the movie they were showing was Flight.

I don't know what idiot thought is was a good idea to show movie about a drug addicted, alcoholic pilot who lands a crashing plane by doing a barrel roll, but I sort of wanted to kill them. Everyone's thoughts on the plane are now about crashing and whether or not our pilot is drunk and high. Their fear is doing a number on Jasper and he is now radiating it out to us.

My fear was already at the breaking point, and now it was through the roof. I was seriously considering jumping out of the plane and running the rest of the way to Italy, when the flight attendant announced that we would be landing soon. Luckily, we were sitting in first class, so when the plane touched down we were up and out before anyone else. We didn't need to go to baggage claim so instead we made our way to the long term parking garage.

We had already decided we were going to have to steal a car when we got here. We didn't want to deal with a cab because the driver would never drive fast enough for us, and rental cars were out, too. It took way too long to fill out the paper work. We needed to get moving now, so "borrowing" was our only option.

We got lucky again when we entered the garage and saw an SUV parked there. It was big enough for us all to fit, which meant we wouldn't need to steal more than one car. Emmett quickly hotwired the car and we were on our way.

Emmett was behind the wheel and he was gunning it. I watched as the Italian landscape flew past the tinted window of the SUV. Thoughts of Bella invaded my mind; her smell, her laugh, the way she felt in my arms. Most of all I thought of the feelings she brought out in me. I had never felt anything as intense or amazing as what I felt for Bella. When I left my family to be on my own for a while I never dreamed I would me meet my mate, but I did. Now she had been harshly taken away, and I was going to do anything to get her back, because I never wanted to be alone again.

I could tell we were getting closer because the pull that I felt towards Bella was getting stronger.

Our luck held out because when I glanced out the window I noticed it was cloudy. Dealing with the sun would take time we didn't have. As soon as Emmett stopped the car I jumped out and started running. I knew my family was behind me but I didn't slow down. I couldn't. I burst through the front door and ran full speed to the front desk where Gianna was sitting.

"Where is Aro?" I seethed.

"Throne room," she squeaked, clearly realizing I wasn't messing around. I pushed through the heavy double doors of the throne room just as my family entered the building. They followed me into the lavish room where Aro was sitting on his throne talking to his brothers, Marcus and Caius.

"Ah, the Cullens!" he said when he saw us, "What a pleasant surprise."

"Where is she?" I growled, not wanting to play his game.

"Who are you looking for?" he asked with a smirk.

"You know damned well who I am looking for," I replied as I fought the urge to run up there and strangle him.

"Refresh me," he replied with a look that told me he was having way too much fun with this.

"Bella," I said through clenched teeth, "Where is Bella?"

"Ah yes, of course, young Isabella," he said.

"Where is she?" I said yet again.

"Gianna!" he called and we all turned and watch as the human hurried in.

"Yes master?" she said.

"Would you please fetch Isabella?" he said.

"Of course," Gianna answered before hurrying out of the room.

"So, my dear friend," Aro said as he looked at Carlisle, "How are you?"

"This is not a social call Aro," Carlisle said curtly. Aro was about open his mouth again when the double doors opened and Gianna walked in, with Bella at her side. I could tell instantly that something was wrong. Bella was wearing Voturi robes, and instead of being scared like I thought she would be, she had her head held proudly in the air. The worst part was she walked right past me like I wasn't even there.

"Bella," I said, and reached my hand out to take hers.

"Do I know you?" she asked and snatched her hand away.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to :IGOTEAMEDWARD, TwilightMomofTwo, Iceblondie, the captains wife, twilight-saga-lover95, iDriveLike-a-Vampire, psychovampirefreak, mixmatched9, cullengirl08, sandy4321, TwilightLoverGirl1, darksoulwu, swiftie121389, ratih choco, midnight-sun1918, RobstenLover93, ellaryne, pumpkinmykitty, viola1701e, Flavia Ribeiro, 01katie for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANKY YOU :)**


	14. A Relief

**I don't own Twilight**

A Relief

_Do I know you…?_

_Do I know you…?_

_Do I know you…?_

Those four words circled around my mind as I tried to get a grasp on reality. Bella, my Bella, my mate, had no idea who I was. I watched as looked at me with a confused expression on her beautiful face, like I was a puzzle she was trying to figure out.

"What did you do to her?" I seethed at Aro.

"I didn't do anything," he said with a smirk.

"Bullshit!" I spat.

"I'd watch my tone if I were you, Edward," Aro said as the double doors behind me opened up. Felix and Demetri entered and came to stand by Aro, and it was clear they were ready for guard duty. I studied them as I tried to come up with a new approach, and suddenly realized it was quiet; too quiet.

For the first time since entering the building I realized I couldn't hear anyone's thoughts. I was so wrapped up in finding Bella before that I didn't notice, but I definitely did now. I couldn't hear the Volturi or my family, but that wasn't what scared me. I knew Bella wasn't doing this because I knew what her shield felt like. It didn't feel like I was being blocked, it felt like my power was gone. Whomever or whatever was doing this was obviously very gifted, and on the same side as the Volturi.

"Isabella dear," Aro said breaking me out of my thoughts, "You may go back to your room if you'd like."

"Okay," Bella said, and after one last confused look in my direction she hurried out of the room.

"Aro, we are old friends," Carlisle said, "Why are you doing this to my family?"

"It is unfortunate that young Edward has to suffer," Aro said without any sincerity, "But Isabella was a member of our family first, and it shall stay that way."

"But they are mates," Carlisle said as he tried to appeal to a sympathetic side that Aro did not posses.

"Like I said, it's unfortunate," Aro said, "Edward is welcome to stay of course, but I hate for him to pine after someone who does not know him." I glanced at my family and noticed Jasper and Alice looked a little edgy. I knew why, and I figured now would be a good time to go outside and regroup.

"I'd like to speak to my family outside," I said to Aro. He nodded, and we made our way out of the throne room and then out of the building.

"My power isn't working," Jasper said as soon as we were outside.

"Mine either," Alice said, "I mean, it was on the fritz before, but now it isn't working at all."

"I'm having the same problem," I said as I began pacing back and forth.

"Is Bella doing it?" Esme asked, and I shook my head.

"I know what her shield feels like, and this isn't it," I said, "And her shield doesn't even work on Alice and Jasper's powers."

"What do we do?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know, but I can't leave Bella," I said, "I don't care if she remembers me or not, I am not leaving her alone here."

"I don't understand how Bella could lose her memory," Rose said, "I would think that would be some kind of mind power, and those don't seem to work on her."

"Maybe whatever is blocking our powers is blocking hers, too," I said.

"Okay, but why would Aro want her if her power isn't working?" Emmett asked, "I mean, the whole reason he changed her was for her shield." He made a good point.

"Maybe at this point it's more of a possession issue," Carlisle said, "Aro changed her, so he sees her as his. Not to mention she escaped, so he is probably trying to make an example of her."

"Nobody leaves the Volturi without their consent," Esme murmured.

"Exactly," Carlisle agreed.

"So I repeat, what do we do?" Emmett said.

"If Edward is staying, then we all are," Carlisle said, "Aro just won't know we are here."

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"What I'm saying is that we will be in town, but not in the castle," Carlisle explained, "Aro might panic and do something rash if we all say we want to stay. This way we are still close enough if you need help."

"Alright. I'll go back in and you guys go find a safe place to stay," I said.

"Be careful Edward, and look out for whatever is doing this," Carlisle said, "The second you know something, contact us."

"I will," I promised as I watched my family disappear. I walked back into the castle and threw open the double doors to throne room. Aro hadn't moved, but his guards seemed to have vanished.

"Ah, Edward, you have decided to stay," Aro said, and actually clapped his hands in glee.

"Yes," I replied.

"Carlisle and the rest have left, though," Aro asked.

"Yes," I said again.

"Pity," Aro said, but he didn't look all that crushed.

"I don't suppose there is a spare room I could use while I am here?" I asked.

"Of course, of course," Aro said before yelling for Gianna again.

"Yes, master?" she said as she entered the room.

"Mister Cullen has decided to stay with us. Please show him to one of our empty rooms," Aro said.

"Yes, master," Gianna said again before leading me out of the throne room. We walked in silence up a flight of stairs and down a long hallway. She came to a stop in front of one of many identical doors and opened it.

"I hope you will be comfortable here," she said and then walked away.

"Not likely," I muttered as I walked into the room and shut the door. There wasn't much to the room that was now mine; a bed that I didn't need, a closet containing a Volturi robe, which I wouldn't wear, and a book shelf. Behind another door was a bathroom. I sighed and flipped on the light, hoping the hot water from a shower would relax me a tiny bit. I thought reducing the stress I felt would help me come up with a plan to save Bella from this hell.

BPOV

To say that I was confused would have been an understatement. I knew my name was Bella, and that I was a vampire. The other thing I knew was that I belonged here in this castle, or at least I thought I did. After seeing that bronzed haired boy downstairs, though, I wasn't so sure. When Aro called for me and I walked into that room, the vampires I saw caused the strangest sense of déjà vu. I didn't let it show of course, because the Volturi guard isn't supposed to show weakness, but it shook me.

Then he touched my hand.

The beautiful boy with the bronze hair touched my hand, and it shot sparks up and down my arm. It freaked me out so badly that I snatched my hand away and asked who he was. The look of heartbreak on his face when I asked this almost shattered me, and I didn't know why. I studied him as he talked to Aro, but instead of being on high alert and seeing him as a potential enemy like I should have, I sensed a source of comfort and safety.

I paced my room trying to fight the urge to go see him, the one Aro called Edward. I knew he was staying here and I wanted to talk to him, but I was afraid that my earlier reaction may have caused him to feel animosity towards me. After another minute of pacing I decided it was worth the risk, so I took a deep breath and left my room. I didn't know what room was his, so I used his scent to track him. He smelled wonderful, like sunshine and warmth, and it didn't take me long to find his room. When I did I hesitated a minute as I tried to work up the courage to knock. I took a deep breath and raised my hand, but before it made contact, the door flew open.

EPOV

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around my waist before heading back into my room. I quickly threw on my clothes and flopped down on the bed. The shower had relaxed me, but I still didn't have a plan. I was stuck until I found out who was behind these power outages we were all experiencing.

I took a deep breath and instantly came on alert. Bella was near. I would know her floral scent anywhere; it had become a part of me over these past few months. I ran to the door, threw it open and there she was.

"Hello," she said quietly as she dropped the hand that had been getting ready to knock when I opened the door.

"Hi," I replied.

"Can…can we talk?" she asked as she bit at her lip, a sure sign that she was nervous.

"Of course," I replied and stepped back so she could come in.

"I don't really know what's going on, but there is something familiar about you," she said as she sat on the edge of my bed.

"Familiar how?" I asked as I tried to contain the hope that was starting to grow within me.

"I don't know," she replied, "When I saw you and your family earlier I got that déjà vu feeling and…and I feel safe around you, and I shouldn't."

"Why shouldn't you feel safe around me?" I asked

"You're not a member of the Volturi, which means you are the enemy," she said, and when her eyes met mine I could almost see the tears that would be there, if it were possible. "But you don't feel like the enemy."

"I'm not," I said quietly as I sat down beside her.

"Then what are you?" she asked in desperation.

"I'm…I'm…" I said, trying to figure out what to say without freaking her out and sending her running.

"Please," she begged, "I want the truth."

"I just don't want to freak you out," I said.

"You won't," she said, and rested her hand on mine, "I trust you." I reveled in the feeling of her soft hand in mine. It had only been a little over a day since I had touched her last, but it felt like an eternity.

"Okay, do you remember what a mate is?" I asked as traced small circles on her hand.

"No," she replied.

"Um, okay. A mate is the vampire version of soul mate. When a vampire meets its mate, it's powerful and intense, and you know in that moment that no one else will ever matter as much as that person. It's the most amazing feeling in the world."

"Wow," Bella said in awe.

"Yeah," I agreed, "My family that you saw, they are all mates. Carlisle, the guy with the short blonde hair and Esme the woman with the caramel colored hair are mates. Jasper, the other blond guy, and Alice the short dark-haired girl are mates. Rose, the blond girl, and Emmet the big guy are mates."

"Edward," Bella said hesitantly and I could see her putting the pieces together, "Are you my…Are we?" I knew what she was trying to get out so I took a deep breath and took the plunge.

"Yes," I whispered and leaned my forehead against hers, "We are mates." Bella bought her hands up and rested them on my face, and I could tell she was desperately trying to remember me.

"What happened?" she asked, "Why don't I remember you?"

"I don't know," I replied, "But we are going to find out and then we are going to fix this." Bella nodded and leaned in to gently press her lips to mine. As I deepened the kiss I felt a sense of relief wash over me, and for the first time in days I felt like everything was going to be okay.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Hairline, The Doctor Rose, Angelus Draco, Iceblondie, cbmorefie, the captains wife, Pongu, Emily444,EC4me, mixmatched9, Twilight4eterniy, sujari6, InfinityDreamer8, twilight-saga-lover95, sandy4321, muffinmom, swiftie121389, cullengirl08, Flavia Ribeiro, velvetWhispers, 01katie, psychovampirefreak, pumpkinmykitty, RobstenLover93 for taking the time to leave a review,it means alot.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	15. A Plan

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Plan

Bella and I spent the rest of the night just lying in my bed. We didn't really talk, and we kissed every once in awhile, but mostly we just held each other. I knew that Bella believed I was her mate, but she still didn't really know who I was, and I didn't want to do anything to scare her, so I let her set the pace. When we kissed it was because she initiated it, and when we were quiet it was so she could absorb everything.

I reluctantly untangled myself from Bella when sunlight started to flitter through the window and create rainbows on our skin.

"Why did you get up?" she asked with an adorable pout.

"As much as I would love to stay tangled up with you," I said with a wink, "I think you'd better head back to your room now."

"Oh, um…okay," Bella said, and when I saw the rejection on her face I wanted to kick myself.

"Oh Bella," I said as I walked to her and held her face with my hands, "I am not telling you to leave because I want you to, believe me. I just think it would be safer for us if you did."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked as the rejection turned into confusion.

"If we start spending too much time together, Aro may get suspicious. I don't want him to do anything drastic out of fear," I explained.

"I suppose you are right," Bella said with a sigh.

"We need some time to figure out what is going on. Until we know who or what caused you to lose your memory, we have to play Aro's sick little game," I explained. "We have to make him think that everything is going his way, and at the same time try to figure out how to take him down."

"How are we going to manage that?" she asked.

"I guess we do what Aro wants, but we also keep our eyes and ears open for any clue that could help us."

"Alright," Bella agreed as she wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my chest, "When can we meet again?"

"I'll come to your room in a few days," I promised, and Bella nodded into my chest. We stood there like that for a minute before she lifted her head and pressed her lips to mine for one last lingering kiss. When she pulled away she looked up at me with that same pout, and I had to fight the urge to drag her back to the bed and keep her there.

"I'll miss you," Bella said with a sigh as she took a step toward the door.

"I'll miss you too," I replied as she took another step. Bella was half way out the door when she suddenly whirled back around.

"I almost forgot. There was one other thing I wanted to ask you," she said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"How come we have gold eyes and your family has gold eyes, but everyone else has red eyes?" Bella asked.

"We have gold eyes because we feed off of animals. They have red eyes because they feed off of humans," I explained.

"Oh, that's good," Bella said with relief. "I remember what they did to me and my parents, and I don't want to be a part of that."

"You never have to be a part of that," I assured her, "They can't force you to drink from a human."

"I bet they could," Bella said.

"Well yeah, I am sure they have ways to do it. But they won't," I said as I thought it over. "Aro wants to keep you here, so he will do anything to make you comfortable, and that means respecting your hunting preferences."

"True," Bella agreed before reluctantly heading for the door again. "See you soon?"

"Soon," I promised before she disappeared down the hall.

I spent the next few hours in my room wasting time and putting off seeing Aro again. I had decided to tell him I was going to head out for a few hours to hunt and buy some clothes once the sun wasn't an issue. Not only did I desperately need to do both of those things, but it would be a good cover so I could touch base with my family.

When I walked into the throne room, I found Aro where he always was, perched on his throne.

"Ah, young Edward," Aro said with a smile, "How was your first night here?"

"Pleasant," I replied, even though amazing or spectacular was probably more accurate.

"I am glad to hear that," Aro replied.

"I am going to go hunt and buy some clothes," I said.

"Of course. You are free to come and go as you please," Aro said with a smirk, "You are not a prisoner here." The smirk widened and I found myself wanting to permanently remove it from his face, because we both knew that as long as Bella was a prisoner here, I was, too.

"Okay," I said with a strained smile. Aro started to say something else, but then looked past me and toward the door, so I knew someone else had come into the room. I didn't have to turn around to know that it was Bella. The warmth and love that I always felt when she was near flowed all around me.

"Isabella," Aro said, confirming what I already knew.

"Hello master," Bella said, "I heard the end of your conversation and I was wondering if I could accompany Edward on his hunt."

"Why would you want to do that?" Aro asked.

"I asked around and was told that he, along with his whole family, hunt animals," Bella said. "I'm very interested in that, and I was hoping Edward could help me out."

"Hmmm," Aro said as he considered Bella's request. "Well, I suppose we can accommodate you, but there is no need for you to get your pretty little hands dirty. We can just have Edward bring you back something from his hunt. Isn't that right, Edward?" It was pretty obvious that Aro didn't trust Bella not to run and didn't want her to leave the building.

"Of course," I replied with a real smile for Bella.

"Excellent," Aro said. "Well, off you go."

With one last look at Bella I left the room and walked out of the building into the blissfully cloudy skies. As soon as I was far enough away from the castle I called Carlisle to find out where they were staying. Once I had that information I made my way to their hotel.

"Hi big brother," Alice said when she opened the door to their suite.

"Hey Alice," I replied.

"Edward, how is Bella?" Esme asked as she rushed over to me.

"Good actually," I replied with a smile.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, clearly confused by my cheerful state. I couldn't really blame him, since the last time he saw me I was on the verge of having a breakdown.

"Well," I said as I stepped into the room, "Bella came to my room last night because she couldn't shake the feeling that I seemed familiar. Actually, she said that our whole family seemed familiar to her, and she was frustrated because she couldn't figure out why. Then she said she felt drawn to me and she trusted me to tell her the truth about what was going on."

"What did you tell her?" Rose asked.

"I told her about vampires and mates, and I told her that she was mine," I explained.

"Did she freak out?" Emmett asked.

"No," I said with a small smile, "She believed me and then we spent the night together."

"I'll bet you did," Emmett said and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"No, Emmett," I said, "I want her to be comfortable with me so I didn't push anything. We went at her pace and it was enough."

"I am so relieved that you and Bella are reconnecting," Esme said, "I was afraid for both of you, afraid that you might have lost each other. You were so heartbroken when we left you yesterday and now seeing you so happy is wonderful. I think everything you and Bella have overcome is amazing, and it shows how strong you two are and how strong your love for each other is."

"Thank you Esme," I said and wrapped my arms around her. Esme held me close in a motherly hug for few minutes before giving me one last squeeze and pulling away.

"Ok, so what is the plan now?" Jasper asked.

"Well, as much as it hurt, I told Bella we should keep some distance between us so Aro doesn't get suspicious," I explained. "She agreed, and we are going to keep our eyes and ears open for anything unusual, anything that can explain how Bella lost her memories."

"We can do the same," Carlisle said. "There are always vampires wandering around town. We can ask around and see if anyone knows anything."

"Okay, thanks," I said. "I can probably come here once a week to check in. I'll just tell Aro I'm going hunting and he won't question it."

"Do you think you could bring Bella next time?" Alice asked and I shook my head.

"Bella asked Aro if she could come with me today because she wanted to hunt animals, and he said no. I am supposed to bring blood back for her. I don't think he trusts her not to run away again, so she is on lockdown."

"Alright," Alice said in disappointment.

"I'm sorry," I replied.

"I know," Alice said with a sigh, "It's not your fault."

"I should go," I said. "I still I have to hunt and go shopping for some new clothes, since all I have is what I am wearing."

"Actually," Alice said, "I already bought you some stuff today and it's being shipped to the castle."

"Thanks," I replied, "Did your power start working again?"

"I didn't need my power," Alice said with a roll of her eyes. "I knew you only had the clothes you came in so I figured you would need more."

"I appreciate it," I replied. "Now I really should go."

"Wait one second," Carlisle said. I watched as he went the mini fridge and took out a bottle of water, he dumped the water out in the sink and brought the bottle to me.

"You can put the blood for Bella in here," he said.

"Thanks Carlisle," I said as I headed for the door. "I will see you guys next week."

"Goodbye Edward," Esme said. "Stay safe."

"You too," I replied and left. After a quick hunt I made my way back to the castle. It was a little difficult hiding the bottle of blood, but I managed.

After I stopped in the throne room to ask Aro where Bella's room was, it didn't take me long to find it. I was not surprised to find that it was as far away from my room as possible. I knocked on the door and watched as Bella opened it a crack. When she saw it was me she opened it wider, grabbed my arm, and pulled me inside.

"I'm so glad it's you," Bella said as she wrapped her arms around me. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too," I replied as my arms wound around her.

"What was up with the door?" I asked.

"I don't want any of them in my room," she explained. "I am also a little bit on edge today."

"Why?" I asked. "I mean, I know this place could put anyone on edge, but is there something more?"

"Every time I leave the room I feel like someone is watching me," Bella said. "I have left my room a couple of times today, and each time the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got nervous."

"I am sure they have someone watching you so you don't run away again," I said hoping to calm her down.

"Maybe, but it seems like something more," she said.

"Alright. Well, whatever it is, we will figure it out," I promised. "In the meantime I have something to distract you."

"You are enough," Bella said as she reached up to press her lips to mine. When we pulled apart I let my forehead rest against hers and just basked in all that was Bella.

"I meant this," I said a minute later and held up the bottle with the blood. Bella took the bottle from me and carefully opened up. I watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Deer?" she asked as her eyes went black with thirst.

"Yeah, it's all I could find today," I said. "I'll see if I can find something bigger next time."

"This is perfect," Bella said as she took a sip and moaned. That moan shot straight through me and I was overcome with lust. It was in that moment that I realized keeping my distance from Bella was going to be impossible.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Angelus Draco, iDriveLike-a-Vampire, mixmatched9, The Doctor Rose, the captains wife, viola1701e, EC4me, twilight-saga-lover95, sandy4321, swiftie121389, psychovampirefreak, ellaryne, Flavia Ribeiro, cullengirl08, 01 katie, RobstenLover93 for taking the time to leave a review, it means alot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	16. A Clue

**I don't Twilight**

A Clue

When Bella finished the blood, she licked her lips and handed me the empty bottle. I threw it away in Bella's bathroom and made my way back to my girl.

"Thanks for bringing that back for me," Bella said as she perched on the edge of her bed.

"No problem," I replied, "Was it enough?"

"Yep," Bella said, "My thirst is gone."

"Good," I said as I sat down next her, "I can get you something better next time. I didn't have a lot of time today, and all I could find was deer."

"It was fine," Bella assured me, "Why didn't you have a lot of time?"

"I stopped in to see my family," I explained, "I had to fill them in on what was going on here and how things were going with us."

"They asked about me?" Bella asked as she picked up hand and started tracing light circles on it.

'"Of course," I replied, "I know that you don't remember them, but they love you."

"Really?" Bella asked.

"Yes. I actually had to stop Alice from coming here and checking up on you," I said and smiled as I thought of my sister.

"I feel so bad. They are all so worried about me, and I don't even remember them," Bella said.

"You will," I promised as I held her close, "We will figure this out." Bella just nodded and wrapped her arms around me. We sat there in silence holding each other for a few minutes before I reluctantly pulled away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Bella asked with a pout.

"Distance, remember?" I said.

"Yeah, I remember," Bella grumbled.

"Trust me. After your little display with the blood, this a lot harder for me than it is for you," I said.

"What display?" Bella asked looking confused.

"While you were drinking you let out some very intense moans," I smirked, "It was very arousing."

"I did no such thing," Bella said looking embarrassed.

"You most certainly did, Miss Swan," I said as I stalked back to where she was standing.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked as I grabbed her hips and brought her closer to me.

"Don't be. I enjoyed it," I said before crushing my lips to hers. Bella's lips were soft and warm on mine and I let out a moan of my own as her tongue found mine. I tightened my hold on her hips and she buried her hands in my hair. When her fingers began messaging my scalp I knew had to pull away or we wouldn't ever stop. When I broke the kiss we were both gasping for breath we didn't need.

"If that is your idea of distance," Bella panted, "I'm all for it."

"You make distance very, very hard," I said as I attempted to compose myself.

"Well you don't exactly make it a snap," she replied.

"Yeah, sorry about that," I replied as I ran a hand through my now messed up hair.

"Don't be," Bella said with a smirk, "I enjoyed it."

"Ha ha," I said gently pressed my lips to hers.

"You have to go now, don't you?" Bella asked when she pulled away.

"Yeah," I replied with a frown.

"Okay," Bella sighed, "Good night, Edward."

"Good night, Bella," I said before blowing her a kiss and leaving the room.

I knew it was going to be a long night, so I stopped by the castle's library before heading back to my room. I scanned the titles of the books Aro kept stocked in this library and quickly realized they were mostly about the history of Italy and the Volturi. After a while I finally managed to locate some classic literature.

I chose Wuthering Heights, because it reminded me of Bella, and headed back to my room. Once I was back in my room I flopped down on my bed and began to read. I was a few chapters in when a knock on my door interrupted me.

"Come in," I called with a smile as thoughts of Bella sneaking to my room filled my mind. When the door opened, however, my smile faded and thoughts of Bella drifted away.

"What do you want, Felix?" I asked.

"Aro wanted me to check on you," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Why?" I asked in irritation.

"Apparently he came up here a little while ago and you weren't here," Felix sneered, "I guess he is worried about his shiny new toy."

"Well, you can report back to him like a good little boy and tell him I am just fine," I replied.

"Go to Hell, Cullen," Felix spat as he headed for the door.

"Oh, I'm guessing you will get there long before I do," I replied as I reached for my book.

"Yeah, just keep telling yourself that," he said as he was about to walk out the door, but then he suddenly turned.

"Oh, and one other thing," he said wryly.

"What?" I asked in exasperation.

"Bella doesn't remember you, so as far as I'm concerned that makes her fair game," Felix said with a wicked smile, "I can't wait to get her naked." I was across the room in the blink of an eye and wasted no time in wrapping my hand around Felix's neck.

"You stay the hell away from her," I growled as I tightened my grip, "Don't talk to her. Don't touch her. If you do, I will find out and I will kill you." I threw the door open and dragged Felix out into the hall.

"Now, get the hell away from me before I kill you right here," I let go of Felix's neck and stumbled back against the wall. It didn't take him long to gain his footing, and when he did he was in front of me in a flash with his hand around my neck.

"Watch your back, Cullen," he hissed before he let me go and stormed down the hall. I went back into my room, slammed the door, and spent the rest of the night plotting Felix's death. When the sun started to shine through my window I decided it would probably be wise to leave my room for a while. I needed to stretch my legs and get my thoughts away from Felix and murder. If I focused on it much longer I would surely act on my plans, getting myself killed in the process by a very pissed off Aro. That wouldn't help anyone, least of all Bella.

I walked around the castle and noticed how quiet it was. I was still getting used to not having everyone else's thoughts in my head and the quiet it created. It was wonderful, but I was learning that only having my thoughts to deal with was dangerous as well.

After a while I found myself outside in a small court yard with a bubbling fountain. I sat on the edge of the fountain and dipped my fingers in the cool, clear water.

"Hey," I heard Bella's voice say. I whirled around to see her standing there, sparkling in the sun.

"You know," I said as I took in every inch of her beautiful, glimmering skin, "The first time I ever saw you, you were sitting on a rock in the sun. Your skin was shimmering the way it is now, and I thought you were the most beautiful creature I had ever seen."

"Wow," Bella breathed.

"Yeah," I said and smiled, "You were terrified of me. Can't say I blame you, seeing as the only other vampires you had met were the ones here. I got you to trust me, though, and even more amazing I got you to love me."

"I'm guessing it didn't take much," Bella said, "You are an amazing person, Edward Cullen."

"So are you, Bella Swan," I said, and after a quick check to see if anyone was around I hurried over to her, pressed my lips to hers, and hurried back to my perch on the fountain.

"You are a brave one, too," Bella said with smirk.

"It was worth the risk," I replied with a smirk of my own.

"I saw you come out here and thought I would come say hello, but I should probably…," Bella began but stopped when we heard voices. I grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her behind a corner of the building. We both stopped breathing and stayed absolutely silent as we listened.

"I'm so sick of him, Alec," Jane's voice whined.

"I know. I don't how much more I can take," Alec replied, and I could hear him pacing back and forth.

"We used to be Aro's favorites. Now it's all 'E this, and E that.'" Jane complained. Bella looked at me with a confused expression on her face.

"Are you E?" she mouthed. I shook my head because I figured I was far from Aro's favorite, and in my current powerless state I was worthless to him.

"I know the guy has big time power, but he is a douche bag," Alec said.

"Totally," Jane agreed, "I can't believe we all have to call him E now because he decided it was cooler than his actual name."

"Aro was only too happy to grant that dumbass wish," Alec said, and I could almost the scowl on his face.

"At this point I almost hope Cullen finds out about him and what he did," Jane said, and Bella and I exchanged looks of surprise.

"Oh yeah, Cullen would murder him in a second," Alec said, and I could hear pleasure in his voice.

"Hmm, do you think he even could?" Jane asked, "I mean, with all his different powers, E is next to impossible to take out. It's why he became Aro's lap dog."

"Well, golden boy has to have a weakness somewhere," Alec said.

"Actually, I think he does," Jane said, and I could just tell that her twisted smile was now appearing on her face, "It's Isabella."

"Really?" Alec asked intrigued.

"Didn't you see the way he was looking, or should I say, _leering_ at her the whole way here?" Jane asked. Bella grabbed my hand and held it tight as I resisted the urge to growl. The thought of anyone leering at my mate made me see red.

"What…?" Alec began before someone called their names and they hurried back inside. When we were sure they were gone, Bella and I made our way back to the fountain. I sat on the ground with my back against the fountain and Bella sat down next to me. We were silent as we let all the new information we had just overhead sink in.

"We need to find out who E is," Bella said.

"Yeah, and then I need to kill him for leering at you," I growled, "God, between last night and today, my kill list is getting longer by the minute."

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked, "What happened last night?"

"Nothing, but if you could stay away from Felix that would be great," I said.

"What did he say?" Bella asked.

"Let's just say he has a strong urge to see you naked," I seethed.

"Oh my God, he said that and you let him live?" Bella asked.

"Well, I figured that if I killed him, Aro would be pretty irritated and kill me, which wouldn't be helpful," I explained.

"No, it wouldn't," Bella agreed.

"Okay, now to get back on topic "We need to figure out who E is, and what exactly makes him so powerful."

"Do you think he took my memory away?" Bella asked.

"Well, Alec and Jane said he did something to you, and I am guessing that's it," I replied.

"I wonder why we haven't seen him around?" Bella asked.

"If he is as powerful as Jane and Alec say, then I am guessing Aro is keeping him hidden," I said.

"So that's another thing we need to figure out," Bella said, "We need to find out where Aro is hiding him."

"It's a lot of questions," I said, "But at least now we have some a clue as to what is going on."

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Angelus Draco, whisperwind1886,muffinmom, cullengirl08, viola1701e, The Doctor Rose, swiftie121389, the captains wife, 8thweasleykid,turtle1954, sandy4321, stupidlamb2010, psychovampirefreak, ellaryne, twilight-saga-lover95, RobstenLover93, Flavia Ribeiro for taking the time to leave a review, it means alot.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	17. A Partnership

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Partnership

Bella and I spent a few more minutes together at the fountain before going our separate ways. I desperately wanted to kiss her goodbye, but it was too risky. So, with one last lingering look, we took off in opposite directions.

The next few days passed. Not being able to spend the daylight hours with Bella made them seem to drag on forever, but the nights were all ours, and they flew by. Bella and I quickly discovered that most of the Volturi went out at night or just stayed in their rooms; there weren't many of them walking around the hallways after the sun went down, so we were able to cautiously come and go as we pleased. We spent our nights in each other's arms, either talking or just holding each other.

A few days later I once again made my way to throne room and told Aro that I needed to hunt. Luckily he had no objections and I was able to leave quickly. It didn't take me long to get to where my family was staying, and once I was safely inside I explained to them what Bella and I had heard the other day.

"So you don't have any idea who this E person could be?" Jasper asked when I was finished.

"No," I replied.

"Well, we know it's not you, me, or Esme," Emmett said, "That eliminates three people."

"Gee, thanks Emmett," I replied sarcastically while everyone else rolled their eyes.

"Do you have any ideas about how to figure out who E is?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, I've been thinking about it. He has to feed, right?" I asked, "Maybe the next time they have one of their group meals I can snoop around."

"No," Esme said.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"First of all, given her history, I am going to guess Bella won't want you anywhere near that," Esme said, "And second, if you smelled the blood, would you be able to stop yourself from feeding? Would you be able to live with those consequences?"

"No," I sighed as everything she said sunk in, "I wouldn't be able to handle it if I killed someone, and I know Bella would never forgive me."

"So, any other ideas?" Rosalie asked.

"No," I said in frustration.

"I might have one," Alice said, "You might not like it though."

"Alice, I'm desperate," I said, "I'm open to any suggestions."

"Alec and Jane," Alice said.

"What about them?" I asked.

"You said that they dislike this E person to the point that they wanted you to kill him, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Maybe you can get them to help you find him," Alice said.

"You want me to ask those sadistic devil twins for help?" I asked in disbelief.

"Do you have a better idea?" Alice asked.

"No, but even if for some strange reason they did want to help, I don't know if they could," I said "I really don't know if they even know where he is."

"Well, it won't hurt to ask," Alice said.

"It might. Jane is pretty trigger happy with that power of hers," I said and winced as I thought of the pain Jane could inflict.

"Are you going to do it or not?" Alice asked, and I could tell she was losing her patience.

"Yeah, I'll do it," I replied. "I'm going to talk to Bella about it first though."

"How is she doing?" Esme asked.

"Bella's okay. She's better now that we have a lead," I said, "She asked me to say hello for her, by the way."

"Tell her we say hi back," Alice said with a smile.

"I will, and actually I should get going," I said as I noticed what time it was, "I do need to hunt before I head back."

"Are you bringing some blood back for Bella again?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes. That reminds me, can I borrow another bottle?" I asked. Carlisle nodded and headed over to the fridge to get a bottle. Once the water was poured out he brought it over and handed to me.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Of course," Carlisle said, "Be safe Son, and get in touch with us after you talk to Jane and Alec."

"I will," I replied as I headed for the door.

I didn't waste too much time hunting. I hadn't hunted that long ago so it didn't take me long to get what I needed. I was also anxious to see Bella again. I managed to find a bear and after drinking my share, I filled Bella's bottle and buried the body.

Once I was back inside the palace walls, I headed to Bella's room and knocked lightly on her door.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she opened the door.

"Hi," I replied with a smile of my own as I walked into the room. "I brought you something."

"I just need you," she said and reached up to press her lips to mine. We reluctantly broke apart a few minutes later and I held up the bottle.

"I think you need this too," I said with a smile.

"Oh, yeah, I guess I do," she said as she took the bottle from me. I watched as she took the cap off the bottle and took a sip. I was rewarded with another moan as the warm liquid quenched her thirst.

"This is different than the last stuff you brought me," she said.

"Its bear," I explained.

"I like it better than the deer," she said as she finished the bottle.

"It's thicker than the deer blood, so it should help your thirst more than the first bottle," I said, and she nodded.

"Did you get to hunt for yourself?" she asked.

"Yeah, I had the rest of the bear," I said.

"Good," she said and took my hand to lead me over to the bed.

"I saw my family too," I said once I was sitting with my back against the headboard and she was in my lap.

"Did you tell them what we learned?" she asked.

"Yes, and Alice had an idea," I replied.

"What kind of idea?" she asked.

"She thinks we should ask Alec and Jane for help," I replied.

"Has she never met Jane and Alec?" Bella asked in disbelief, "They are the last people who would help us."

"I know, it's a long shot," I sighed, "But they did seem desperate to get rid of E, so maybe there is a chance they will help."

"I don't know," Bella said, sounding unconvinced.

"We don't really have a whole lot of other options," I said.

"I know. I just don't like the idea of trusting them," Bella said.

"I don't either," I said, "I mean, they kidnapped you, so I'd rather kill them. But I'm desperate."

"They kidnapped me?" Bella said in shock.

"Right, you don't remember that, do you?" I asked.

"No," Bella replied.

"We were at the mall. You went into one store and I went into another store, and while we were separated they took you. I tried to follow your scent, but it disappeared in the parking lot because they took you in a car. I recognized Alec and Jane's scents with yours and figured they would take you here. I was right."

"They did that and you still want to ask them for help?" Bella asked.

"Like I said, I'm desperate," I replied.

"Fine. We can ask them tomorrow," Bella said and settled against me.

"Okay, and if it doesn't work we can think of something else," I said.

"Alright," Bella said.

"Now that that is settled, let's move on to other things," I said as I brushed a piece of Bella's hair behind her ear.

"What other things?" Bella said with smile as she rested her forehead against mine.

"Things like this," I said and pressed my lips to hers. Our kiss soon became heated and frenzied. We ended up pulling away before things got too out of hand, though. While Bella and I had had many passionate make out sessions since we had been here, we had yet to have sex. We had talked about it, and we both decided we wanted to wait until Bella had her memories back before we did that. It seemed wrong to do it when she didn't remember us.

The next morning Bella and I went in search of Alec and Jane. It didn't take us long to find them in one of the Volturi training rooms. I had no idea what those two needed to train for, but they didn't look busy so I wasn't worried about interrupting.

"Hi," Bella said quietly when we walked into the room.

"What do you want?" Jane said as the two of them glared at us.

"We need your help," I said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jane said with cackle.

"Why are the two of you even together?" Alec asked, "I thought she had no idea who you were."

"Being mates is a powerful thing," I replied while I reached out and took Bella's hand.

"We heard you talking the other day," Bella said.

"You eavesdropped," Jane said and turned her glare on Bella.

"Look, we didn't mean to," I said, "We were out by the fountain and heard you coming. We hid so you wouldn't see us together."

"What exactly did you hear?" Alec asked.

"We heard you talking about someone named E," Bella said.

"So?" Jane said.

"We know he took Bella's memories, and we want to find him," I said.

"You think we can help you with that?" Alec asked.

"Well, you didn't seem so thrilled with the guy so I figured we could help each other out," I said, "You help us find him; we will help you destroy him."

"You can't destroy him," Alec said.

"Why not?" I asked

"He is powerful," Jane said, "Not only is he a shield, but he can also absorb other vampires' powers."

"Okay, so it's going to be harder than I thought, but that doesn't mean it's impossible," I said.

"It might be more impossible than you think," Alec said, "I mean, before you even get to him you have to get through whatever Aro has in place to protect him."

"You don't know what Aro has in place to protect him?" Bella asked.

"No. He is Aro's golden boy now, so he has him under lock and key," Jane said bitterly.

"So, you don't think you could find him?" I asked

"No, we didn't say that," Alec said.

"Look, are you going to help us or not?" Bella asked, and I could tell she was getting impatient. Jane and Alec looked at each other and exchanged some sort of freaky silent conversation before turning back to us.

"Okay, fine, we will help you," Jane said, "Let's get one thing straight, though. We are not doing this for you; we are doing it because we hate E and we want him gone."

"Works for me," I replied.

"Alright," Alec said, "we'll see what we can find."

"Meet us back here in a week and we will tell you what we know," Jane added.

"Fine," I replied.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" Bella said.

"One more thing, and if you're not gone after that I will use my power on you," Jane said.

"What's E's real name?" Bella asked.

"Ethan," Alec replied.

"Thank you," Bella replied and we left. Once we were back in my room we flopped down on the bed and let out twin sighs of relief.

"Well that went better than I thought it would," Bella said as she curled into my side.

"I know," I agreed, "Let's just hope they do what they said they would."

"Yeah," Bella said, "And let's hope that when they do, they find something that can help us."

"Yeah, let's hope," I said and wrapped my arm around Bella to hold her close.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: whisperwind1886, Angelus Draco, Iceblondie, trs1, mixmatched9, Flavia Ribeiro, darkangyl78, bellaangel383, iDriveLike-a-Vampire,8thweasleykid, twilight-saga-lover95, psychovampirefreak, the captains wife, swiftie121389, sandy4321, cullengirl08, ellaryne, lizakimiko, viola1701e, RobstenLover93 for taking the time to leave a review, it means alot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	18. A Strategy

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Strategy

EPOV

It was exactly one week later when we met up with Alec and Jane in the training room for the second time. It had been an excruciatingly long week; Bella and I had only seen each other twice, and I was more than ready listen to what Jane and Alec had to say. I was ready to put this place behind me and move on with my life with Bella. In order to do that we had to get rid of Ethan, and I was hoping that Jane and Alec had good news on that front.

I took the fact that they showed up at all to be a good sign.

"You showed," Bella said, sounding surprised.

"Did you think we wouldn't?" Alec asked.

"Well, you don't have a stellar track record for being trustworthy," I replied, and they both rolled their eyes at me.

"Are you interested in what we found out, or not?" Jane said as she examined her nails in boredom. I had to suppress the urge to smile, because that nail move was classic Rosalie.

"Yes, we want to know," Bella said.

"Well, we actually found out where Aro was keeping E hidden," Alec said.

"What? How?" I said with equal parts shock and awe.

"We actually got lucky during the last group feeding," Jane said, and I felt Bella flinch at the mention of the group feed. I slipped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into my side to hold her close.

"We had finished eating and we were watching E," Alec said.

"You can call him Ethan if you want," Bella interrupted, "We won't tell."

"Okay, so we were watching Ethan," Alec said, happy to get rid of the stupid nickname but annoyed at the interruption, "He finished shortly after us, and he left the room."

"Aro and his brothers were still eating and were completely distracted, so we followed him," Jane said, "He went right back to his room, like a good little boy."

"So this is good, right?" Bella asked, "You can take us right to his room."

"Well, there is a slight problem," Alec said, "Ethan's room is right in between Aro's and Caius' rooms."

"If we try anything, they will hear it," Jane said.

"So, what are we going to do?" Bella asked.

"There is one idea. But…" Jane said, pointing a finger at me, "_he_ isn't going to like it."

"What is it?" I asked, knowing I wasn't going to like the answer.

"Well, if you did listen in our conversation last week, then you know what Ethan's weakness is," Alec said.

"No. No way. Not going to happen," I said as I recalled the conversation, and the fact that Bella was said weakness.

"We don't have any other choice," Jane said.

"There has to be another way," I argued, "I am not using my mate as bait."

"Look, she doesn't have to do much," Alec said, "She just has to get him to go for a walk, and then she can lead him right to wherever we are waiting."

"I can do that," Bella said.

"I don't like it," I replied.

"I don't, either," Bella said, "but there really is no other choice."

"Bella, how you would you feel if I was to lure Tanya out for a walk?" I asked.

"Who?" Bella asked.

"Right. Sorry, I forgot you don't remember her," I said. I had become so comfortable with Bella, it was easy to forget that she didn't remember what we had been through.

"It's a long story, but basically she is just someone who can't take a hint," I said with a sour look on my face, remembering our last encounter.

"Did…was she your girlfriend?" Bella asked.

"Hell, no!" I replied. "She wanted to be, and tried on several occasions to convince me we were mates, but I repeatedly told her no. You happened to hear her last attempt and you ran off before you heard me remind her that I had no interest. Once I found you, and explained what had happened, you came back home with me and everything was fine again."

"Maybe I am glad I don't remember her," Bella said.

"If I could block her from my memory, I know I would," I said.

"For bloody hell's sake, can we get back on topic?" Jane growled.

"Right. Sorry," Bella said, "Edward, I know you are worried, but I can do this."

"I don't know Bella," I replied.

"Look, all I have to do is get him to go for a walk with me," Bella said, "If he tries anything else, I will get out of there, I promise."

"Okay, fine. I still don't like it, but I will go along with it," I said.

"Great," Jane said, "Now that lover boy is on board, we need to figure out where we want Isabella to bring Ethan," Jane said.

"It has to be somewhere within the castle grounds," Alec explained, "Aro doesn't let him, or Isabella for that matter, go any farther than that."

"Well, is there anywhere in this place that nobody goes?" I asked, "Maybe an empty room, or unused wing?"

"Um… there is the ballroom, I guess," Alec said, looking to Jane for confirmation, "We haven't held a ball in decades, so no one is ever in that room."

"That could work, then. Right?" I asked.

"It's as good a place as any," Jane said, speaking more to Alec than answering Bella.

"Fine. So, Bella will lead Ethan to the ballroom?" I said and Jane and Alec nodded.

"When are we going to do this?" Bella asked.

"The sooner the better," Alec said.

"How about tomorrow night?" I asked.

"Fine. We will meet here tomorrow night at 8:00," Jane said, looking around suspiciously, "So are we done here?"

"Yes," I replied, and with that Jane and Alec wasted no time in leaving the room and Bella and I were left on our own.

"You're sure you want to do this?" I asked.

"Yes, Edward," Bella replied as she wrapped her arms around my neck, "I am ready to remember you, and us, and whatever history we have together."

"Even if it means remembering Tanya?" I asked with a smirk.

"Even that," Bella said as she reached up to press her lips to mine. When we broke apart I took her hand and led her out of the room. We walked the quiet hallways and soon made it back to her room.

"Are you going to come in?" Bella asked when we stopped outside her door.

"No," I said reluctantly, "I have to go tell my family what our plan is. I have a feeling we are going to need some back up."

"Alright," Bella said, looking slightly disappointed, "I guess that is good idea."

"I don't want to leave you," I said as I took her hand again, "I just think they need to know what is going on."

"I know, but I don't want you to go," Bella pouted.

"I'll come back here to you as soon as I am done. I promise," I said.

"You better," she said before giving me a quick peck on the cheek and slipping into her room. I quickly made my way downstairs and out of the building. I didn't bother to tell Aro I was leaving, because at this point I didn't really give a damn about his permission.

Once I was outside in the cool, crisp night air it didn't take long to get to my family's hotel. I quickly filled them in on our plan, and I could tell they were all a little skeptical.

"Edward, are you sure that's a good idea?" Esme asked.

"No," I said, "but it's the only plan we have."

"What do you need us to do, son?" Carlisle asked, and I was grateful that he was on board, no questions asked.

"I just need you all to be there," I said, "If Aro figures out what is going on, he'll be furious and we are going to need all the help we can get."

"Woo hoo! We get to kick some Vultori ass," Emmett said as he fist-pumped the air.

"Only if it's necessary," I said.

"Okay, fine," Emmett grumbled.

"So, tomorrow at 8 o'clock," I said, and my family all nodded their heads in agreement.

"Be safe Edward," Esme said.

"You too," I said before I left.

Once I was back at the castle I made my way back to Bella's room. As soon as she opened her door she pulled me in and led me to the bed. We lay down together and I wrapped my arms around her.

"Just think about it Bella," I said, "By this time tomorrow, we will be free."

"Yeah," Bella agreed with a wistful sigh.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: I will be Dauntless, Dixie.f.9, Angelus Draco, muffinmom, the captains wife, bellaangel383, sujari6, Flavia Ribeiro, twilight-saga-lover95, sandy4321, RobstenLover93, whisperwind1886, viola1701e, cullengirl08,sexymama25, immortalwizardpirateelf-fan, LadyB3lla, lizakimiko, 8thweasleykid, psychovampirefreak, for taking the time to leave a review it means alot.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	19. A Trap

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Trap

EPOV

The bright morning sun caused rainbows to dance around the room as it hit our skin. I picked up Bella's soft, smooth hand and watched as the movement caused a shower of color on the ceiling. It was beautiful, and I was sorry to have to break the moment.

"I should go," I said as I softly set her hand down.

"No, you shouldn't," Bella argued as she snuggled her head deeper into my chest.

"It's morning, so more people will be out and moving around," I said, "The last thing we want to do today is draw attention to ourselves."

"I suppose you are right," Bella sighed, but made no move to get up. Truth be told, I was as reluctant to leave as Bella was to have me leave.

That night had both flown by and dragged on. On one hand, the clock sped too quickly towards the time when I would have to go through with our plan, leaving Bella alone with Ethan. It went against every fiber of my being to put her in such dangerous proximity to him, but I knew that it was probably our best option. At the same time, each minute we spent in Volterra seemed like an eternity, and only being here with Bella had made it remotely bearable.

"Just think of it like this," I said as I gently detangled myself from Bella, "this is the last time we will be forced to leave each other."

"I hope so," Bella said as she sat up.

"Hey," I said as I knelt in front of Bella and took her face in my hands, "this will work."

"How can you be so sure?" Bella asked.

"We have the element of surprise, we have Jane and Alec, and we have my family on the outside," I said, "And, most importantly, we have each other."

"You're right," Bella said as she rested her forehead against mine, "We will win, and when we do, we will go home and live in peace."

"Yes we will," I agreed and pressed my lips to hers.

"I love you Edward," Bella said when we pulled apart a few minutes later.

"I love you too Bella," I said as I stood up, "I'll see you tonight."

Bella's happy nod was the last thing I saw before I left the room. Once I made sure the hall outside of her room was empty, I hurried back to my room. I spent the day going through what I had accumulated during my stay in Volterra. There wasn't much, just the clothes Alice bought and a book I had grabbed from one of the palace libraries. I decided to leave the clothes here, because I didn't want to bring any reminders of this place with me and I had more than enough clothes anyway.

I did bring the book back because I had no further use for it. Once that was done, I returned to my room and began to pace. I had told Bella everything was going to be fine, but the truth was I had my doubts. There were so many tiny things that could go wrong, so many unexpected complications that we couldn't plan for.

After a few hours of torturing myself I realized that it was getting me nowhere, and I had to shake it off. The last thing I needed was to go into this full of doubt. I had faith in my family, and in Bella and myself, but I didn't have as much faith in Alec and Jane. They were the wild cards, and I knew they could turn on us at any second. I would have to keep my eye on them just in case.

I finally left my room at quarter to seven and made my way to the training room to meet the others. Bella got there a few seconds later and we waited for Alec and Jane together.

"They're going to show up, right?" Bella asked after a few minutes.

"They'd better," I replied. When they still hadn't arrived after several more minutes, Bella and I found ourselves pacing as we tried to fight off our nerves and agitation.

"You two can stop wearing holes in the floor now," Alec said from behind us, and we both whirled around.

"About time," I muttered.

"It was harder to get away from Aro then we thought," Jane said.

"He was telling some long winded story, and we couldn't leave until it was done," Alec said.

"You would think someone as old as he would have more interesting stories, but they are all snoozers," Jane said.

"Can we get on with the plan?" Bella asked, and I could tell she was anxious.

"Fine," Jane said, "Let's go."

Bella and I followed Jane and Alec out of the room and up multiple staircases and winding hallways. We made one stop so Bella and I could see where the ballroom was located, and finally came to a stop beside the closed door where Jane and Alec looked around nervously before facing us.

"_This is E's room_," Alec mouthed so Ethan wouldn't hear. I took Bella's hand in mine and leaned down to her. Our kiss was soft and passionate, and we were both breathless when we pulled apart.

"_Be careful_," I mouthed as I gave her hand one last squeeze. Bella nodded as I dropped her hand and went to stand with Alec and Jane. With one last look at Bella I turned and ran with Jane and Alec at vampire speed toward the ballroom.

BPOV

With a shaking hand I reached up and knocked loudly on the old wooden door. Not even a second later the door opened, and I was face to face with the man who had ruined my life with Edward. I inwardly cringed when his face lit up with happiness realizing it was me.

"Hi," I said with fake cheerfulness.

"Hey," he replied as he leaned against the door frame.

"Your E, right?" I asked.

"That's me," I he replied.

"Everybody's been talking about you, and I thought it would only be polite to come and introduce myself," I said as I twirled my hair around my finger in what I hoped was a flirtatious manner. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," he purred, and I had to resist the urge to gag.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked with a slight purr of my own, "We could get to know each other better."

"We could get to know each other better in here, too," Ethan said as he gestured to his room.

"That is tempting," I said as I repressed the revulsion that was threatening to consume me, "I was hoping you could show me around the castle, though. I still get a bit turned around, and I thought you might be able to help me get my bearings."

"Well, I am always willing to help a damsel in distress," he said as he stepped forward and took my hand. My hand felt dirty the second it touched his, and I had to fight not to pull it free. I missed the gentle strength and warmth of Edward's hand, and wanted nothing more than to finish this so I could be by his side.

"Let's go," I said.

Ethan shut his door and began leading me down the hallway. We walked down hallways and up and down stairs. Ethan spent the entire walk playing tour guide and explaining what was behind each door.

Finally we came to stop outside the grand ballroom. It was hard, knowing Edward was right on the other side of the door. I could feel his presence and ached to touch him but I knew I had to wait.

"What room is this?" I asked.

"This is the ballroom," Ethan said.

"Oh, can we please go in?" I begged.

"Why?" Ethan said, looking confused. I really couldn't blame him, seeing as I had expressed no interest in any other room so far.

"I have never really seen a ballroom," I said, "I've read so many novels about royalty and lords and ladies attending grand events in rooms like this, I guess I've always wanted to know what it's like to dance inside one," I explained coyly.

"Well then, allow me to fulfill your fantasy," Ethan said as he threw open the ballroom door.

Ethan still had a grip on my hand as he pulled me to the middle of the room and began twirling me around. I caught Edward's eye as he, along with Jane and Alec, crept up behind Ethan. Unfortunately, Ethan whirled around just as they were about to make their move.

"What the hell is this?" Ethan demanded.

"The end," Edward said before launching himself at Ethan.

I watched in horror as they fought. At first it seemed like Edward had the upper hand, but I soon noticed black marks appearing on Edward's skin wherever Ethan touched. Each time a new mark appeared, Edward's face would contort in pain. Finally when it got to be too much Edward dropped Ethan.

"What the hell did you do to him?" I asked as I hurried to Edward's side and examined his marred skin.

"When I feel threatened my touch can be burning hot," Ethan said with a sadistic smirk. I gently touched one of the black marks on Edward's arm and saw that they were, in fact, burn marks. I also noticed, with much relief, that they were healing quickly.

"Are you okay?" I asked Edward, offering him my hand.

"I'm fine," Edward replied as he took my hand and stood up.

Edward and I stood side by side and Jane and Alec came to stand next to us. We looked at each other before looking back at Ethan and advancing forward. Unfortunately we were forced to halt when a wall of fire sprung up and blocked our path. Edward pulled me back protectively and we all kept backing away from the burning wall of flames.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jane yelled to Ethan, "You are going to burn down the whole castle!"

Ethan didn't bother to respond.

"Can't you two do anything?" I asked.

"No," Alec replied, looking desperate, "Ethan is blocking our powers."

"I could kill him just for that," Jane spat.

"Edward," I said as I glanced up, "Look."

Edward followed my gaze to the ceiling. The flames we getting higher, so high that they were nearly reaching the sprinkler system in the ceiling. I guess when they only way you can die is by fire, you do what you can to protect yourself from it. In the case of the Volturi, they installed sprinklers, and I was grateful. The second the flames hit the ceiling the sprinklers went off and we were showered with cold water. The flames disappeared, and we were all left soaking wet.

"Guess your plan backfired," Edward said as he glared at Ethan and brushed his wet hair out of his face.

"Not really," Ethan replied as the water from the sprinklers started to swirl in one giant wave.

"Oh shit," Jane said from beside me.

The wave got bigger and bigger, and soon it was towering over us and we had nowhere to run. I grabbed Edward's hand just as the water fell on us. The force of it knocked us down and it filled our lungs on noses so we had to fight for the breath we didn't really need. Everything around me was water, and I struggled to hold on to Edward's hand as I tumbled around.

With our hands still clasped together Edward and desperately tried to climb to some sort of surface, but it was like being trapped in a water bubble with no way out. Then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. The water surrounding us fell to floor and we fell with it. We landed on the wood floor with a loud thump. I pushed soaking wet hair out of my face and turned to look in the direction I knew Ethan was standing. What I saw made me gasp in shock.

Edward's brothers were each holding once of Ethan's arms and his tiny sister was perched on Ethan's shoulders. It was clear Ethan was burning them like he had Edward, but they were trying to ignore it.

I watched in awe as Edward's sister ripped Ethan's head off, and collapsed as wave after wave of memories hit me.

**AN: Two chapters in one day, how lucky are you guys ;) Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Lizakimiko, twilight-saga-lover95, sujari6, Flavia Ribeiro, Kamikazi13, ellaryne, mayejrmorris, RobstenLover93 for taking the time to leave a review.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	20. A War

**I don't own Twilight!**

A War

BPOV

_I'm sitting on rock, terrified, listening to the beautiful boy as he tells me his name and tries to help me, as he urges me to trust him. I watch as he walks away in disappointment…_

_I decide to trust Edward; I follow Edward's scent to the amazing house tucked away in the woods. Edward lets me in and offers me clothes and a shower…_

_I listen to him play his breathtaking music. It awakens an emotion in me so intense and powerful that it scares me. I run…_

The memories are coming faster and faster, all I can do is lie there and hold my head in hands as it overwhelms me.

_I push my fear of the unknown aside when my thirst becomes too much to handle. I return to Edward and he helps me hunt before once again giving me clothes and a shower…_

_I open up to him and tell him my story, he holds me when I cry and tells me everything will be ok. I believe him…_

_I stay with him, we hunt, we shop, and all the while the unknown emotion grows stronger…_

_Tanya shows up and I see red as she touches Edward and flaunts herself on his piano. I run then watch as Edward frantically searches for me…_

_I feel guilty and return to Edward. We kiss and for the first time I realize that the unknown feeling is love…_

_Edward and I go away and I confess what I have been feeling…_

_Edward explains what a mate is and I realize that he is mine and I am his…_

_We join together as one and it's all consuming…_

_I meet Edward's family and they accept me as their own…_

_Edward and I go shopping; I want to surprise him so we split up…_

_Jane and Alec take me…_

_Ethan takes my memory from me…_

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the memories stopped, and I am finally able to focus. Edward's topaz eyes were the first thing I saw.

EPOV

Taking out Ethan proved to be more difficult than I imagined. First, listening to him and Bella in the hallway had been torture. Jane and Alec and were on the verge of grabbing my arms and holding me back when they finally entered the ballroom. Then, when I was finally able to put my hands on Ethan to inflict some well-deserved pain, he burned me. Everywhere he touched left a black burn mark, and the pain was excruciating.

I had barely had time to recover when the fire wall appeared, followed by the hurricane of water. After the water finally vanished I noticed several things. Alice was standing at the other end of the room holding Ethan's head, and Bella was on the floor next to me holding her head.

"Bella," I gasped as I gathered her into my arms, "Oh God."

"Edward, what's going on?" Jasper asked as he, Emmett, and Alice come to stand beside me.

"I…I don't…" I replied as I tried to comfort Bella while she squeezed her eyes shut and held her head. It took a minute before Bella finally dropped her hands, and I held my breath as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Edward," she breathed.

"Bella love, what happened?" I asked as I gently stroked her hair.

"I remember," Bella said as a smile slowly made its way on to her face.

"You remember what?" I asked as I leaned to kiss her forehead.

"Everything," Bella replied happily. I pulled back to look at her and was struck by her radiantly happy smile.

"You got your memories back?" I asked not daring to believe it. Bella nodded, and I knew if she could, she would have had tears in her eyes. We were both grinning like fools when she pulled my head down to hers and took my lips with hers.

I let my forehead rest on hers when we pulled apart.

"I love you so much Edward," Bella said as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I love you too," I replied.

"Well, isn't that sweet," said a voice I hoped I would never hear again.

"What the hell?" I said as I looked over and saw Ethan sitting on the floor watching.

"Oh God, I dropped his head when I saw Bella was in trouble," Alice said, "I didn't even think… it must have been right next to his body."

"Perfect," I mumbled as I stood and then helped Bella up.

"Seriously!" Jane screeched, "How could you be so careless?"

I took my eyes off of Bella to look at Jane, and for the first time in what felt like forever I heard a buzzing in my head. My power was back on, and judging from what had just happened to Bella so was hers. That had to mean that Alec and Jane's were working too.

"I didn't see you rushing over there to burn his body," Alice said, calling Jane a bitch in her head.

"Whatever," Jane replied, not wanting to admit that she thought Alice was right.

I was pulled away from my sister and Jane when Ethan's thoughts entered my head. I whipped my head around and glared at him; he didn't notice because he was too busy staring at Bella's chest. Bella was still wet and her t-shirt was clinging to her. Ethan was enjoying the view way too much.

"Jane," I growled, "I think your power is working and I want you to test it."

From the corner of my eyes I saw Jane follow my gaze. A second later she had smirk on her face as Ethan writhed in pain on the ground. Clearly he hadn't had time to put up one of his many shields.

"This ends now," I said as stalked over to where Ethan was.

I reached down, grabbed him by the hair and pulled. It didn't take much for his head to detach and once it was I turned back to the others.

"Who has a lighter?" I asked. Emmett smirked as he threw one to me. I caught it, opened it, and held it up to Ethan's head which promptly caught on fire. I threw the head on the body and went to join the others.

We were silent as we watched the body of our enemy burn. We were all so entranced by the burning body that we failed to notice when the ballroom door opened.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Aro demanded. I pulled Bella into my side as we turned to face Aro, Caius, Marcus and the entire Volturi guard. I watched in amusement as Aro looked from the wet floor to the fire in confusion.

"You had a pest problem," I smirked, "Don't worry, we took care of it."

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean," Aro said stonily.

"Your little pet," I said with a vicious grin, "We took care of him."

Horror and rage took over Aro and Caius's faces when my words sunk in and they realized what I was saying. Marcus, on the other hand, looked pleased; like he was happy Ethan was gone.

"Ethan," Aro growled, and I nodded.

"Did you two have a hand in this?" Caius asked as he glared at Jane and Alec.

"Oh, so you do remember we exist?" Jane sneered.

"Typical," Felix snorted.

"Excuse me?" Alec asked.

"The terror twins weren't getting enough attention, so they took out their competition," Felix said, "It always has to be about you, doesn't it?"

"ENOUGH!" Aro roared, and everyone fell silent.

"How, dear brother, do you suppose we should handle this situation?" Caius asked.

"The Cullens have become more trouble than they are worth," Aro said, "and Jane and Alec have turned against us, so they can no longer be trusted."

"How should they be punished?" Caius asked.

"Kill them," Aro replied with eerie calm, "Kill them all."

The guard didn't waste any time in carrying out their orders. Felix was on me before I could blink and Heidi was equally quick in grabbing Bella.

Felix quickly went around me and moved to wrap his arms around my neck. Fortunately, I was able to read the move in his thoughts and I was prepared. The second his arms were on me I reached back, grabbed him, and flipped him up and over my head.

Felix landed on his back hard, so hard that he left a crack in the floor. I reached down, grabbed the caller of his robe and hauled him up.

"That was for putting your hands on me," I hissed, "and this is for your less than pure thoughts of Bella."

I used my free arm to deliver a punch square in the middle of Felix's face. When his head snapped back I took the opportunity to go for his neck. Felix recovered before I could attack; he kicked my shins and fell forward. I was still holding Felix's robe, causing him to fall also, and I landed on top of him. I grabbed Felix's neck before he could even move, and with one swift tug it snapped and his head was no longer attached to his body.

I threw the head in the fire that was still raging, and the body quickly followed. Once Felix was gone I stood to look at was going on in the room.

It was complete chaos. Everyone was fighting in a war to survive.

I watched in horror as Heidi grabbed Bella's arm and twisted it behind her back. I moved to intervene, but stopped when I saw Bella spin around and grab Heidi by the hair. Bella pushed Heidi's head down and jumped around so she was perched on Heidi's shoulders. With twist of Bella's arm's Heidi's head disconnected from her body and Bella jumped down. Bella threw Heidi in the fire and then ran to me.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she crashed into my arms and started peppering my face with kisses.

"I'm fine," I said and took her lips with mine, "You?"

"I'm okay," Bella replied and we turned to see how everyone else was doing

Alec was throwing bits and pieces of Afton and Corin into the fire, it was clear he had used his power on them before they could use theirs. Alice was going hand to hand with Chelsea and it was pretty clear Alice was winning. Every time Chelsea went for Alice, Alice disappeared and popped up a few inches away. It was clear Alice was just having fun with Chelsea at this point so I wasn't too worried about her.

Jasper was fighting Demetri, and like his wife, it was clear Jasper had the upper hand. Jasper's militarily training made him a lethal fighter and Demetri, while a member of the guard, didn't do much fighting. Aro mostly used him to track people, and it was clear he didn't spend time working on his hand to hand. Seconds later, Jasper finished him off and went to help Alice.

Jane was fighting Renata when suddenly she turned and went the other way.

"Where is she going?" Bella asked.

"Renata's shield turned her around," I said.

"I'll take care of it," Bella said and a second later Jane turned around with sadistic smile while Renata fell to the ground in pain.

It was clear Bella had put her shield around Jane and Jane had turned around and used her power on Renata. After that it didn't take Jane much to finish her off.

Emmett was fighting Santiago and it seemed like they were pretty evenly matched. They were both known for brute strength, and it showed as they threw each other around. Santiago got distracted and turned to see what he was looking at.

To my surprise and horror Rose and Esme were fighting Caius and Carlisle was fighting Aro. Marcus was watching with an amused smile on his face. They had to have come in while I was fighting Felix and I didn't notice. It was clear that the fights between the brothers and my family were brutal and it was clear they needed help.

I looked down at Bella and she looked at me. I squeezed her hand and together we ran forward to help.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: Arcani Asthore,SelenaQuintanillaLOVER, Angelus Draco,  
sweetie7smiled, Flavia Ribeiro, mayejrmorris,mixmatched9,Jessifer79, lizakimiko, whisperwind1886, viola1701e,Sassy Mami, sandy4321, twilight-saga-lover95, cullengirl08,  
RobstenLover93 for taking the time to leave a review it means alot!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	21. A Victory

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Victory

It didn't take Bella and me long to realize Rose and Esme needed our help more than Carlisle did. It wasn't that Rose and Esme couldn't fight; it was that Caius had a few more centuries of experience than they did. No matter how well they fought he was always one step ahead of them.

We closed in on them, and the four of us formed a circle around Caius. We looked at each other and with a silent nod we all pounced. Caius didn't stand a chance. Limbs and body parts went flying into the fire until finally all that was left was the head.

"Would you two like to do the honors?" I asked Rose and Esme, since it was their fight.

"With pleasure," Rose said as she and Esme picked up the head and threw it into the fire. Once Caius was truly gone we turned to back to Aro and Carlisle, who were still going head to head.

"He shouldn't be the one to kill him," Bella said from beside me.

"What?" I asked confused.

"I should be the one to kill Aro," Bella said.

"Why?" I asked.

"He has destroyed my life over and over again," she explained. "First he killed my parents and turned me into a vampire, then he had me kidnapped and took away my memory. I want to destroy him."

"Come on," I said as I pulled her forward, "We all want him dead, so we will do it together." Bella looked up at me and must have seen something in my face that told her how much I wanted to destroy him, because she nodded.

"Okay, I can read their minds, so I know what moves they are going to make," I explained, "When I nod I want you to kick the back of his shins."

"Okay," Bella said. I paid close attention to Carlisle's thoughts and didn't take long for him to decide to lunge at Aro's neck. When he did I nodded and Bella kicked Aro's shins while I jumped up and kicked his back. Luckily, Carlisle had a good grip when she kicked, and the result was Carilse holding Aro's decapitated head in his hand. Carlisle threw it into the fire, and Bella wasted no time disposing of Aro's body in the same manner.

Once Aro was gone everyone else in the room froze. I looked around and noticed most of the fights were already over. Chelsea and Demetri were gone, and Alice and Jasper were standing with their arms around each other smiling happily at us. Santiago had also disappeared, and Emmett quickly joined up with Rosalie. They were in each other's arms and making out heavily almost before I could blink.

Jane and Alec had finished their fights before Aro and Caius died, and they were now frozen in horror and awe.

Marcus was still standing at the head of the room with a smirk on his face. It was pretty clear he wasn't grieving for his now deceased brothers.

"Thank you," Marcus said confirming my thoughts.

"You're welcome," Carlisle replied and I could tell he was slightly confused by Marcus's gratitude. If Carlisle's could hear Marcus's thoughts like I could at the moment, and hear the hatred Marcus had for his brothers, he wouldn't be nearly as confused.

"My brothers and I haven't seen eye to eye on a lot of things in a long time," Marcus explained, "They were really big on punishment and pain, I am not, but I was always outvoted. It broke me to see the pain they inflicted on others, but I didn't have the power to anything about it. What Aro did to you, young Isabella, was despicable and I am truly sorry."

"You are?" Bella asked skeptically and after what she had been through I couldn't blame her.

"Everything he did to force you to become a member of the Voturi was horrific and I am sorry. It used to be a law that we couldn't force anyone to join us. If they joined it was because they wanted to. In recent years Aro has been passive and forceful, his desperation outweighed his morals. I hope you can accept my apology."

Bella stared at Marcus for minute, I assumed she was trying to decide if he was sincere or not, she must have decided that he was because she sighed and nodded.

"I accept," Bella said with a small smile before adding, "on one condition."

"Anything," Marcus said.

"You let us go," Bella said.

"Of course," Marcus said, "You are all free to go whenever you like."

"Will you be alright running the Volturi by yourself?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, I will be more than alright," Marcus replied. In his head I could hear his plans I knew that he was more than capable of running the Volturi.

"Alright, then I wish you the best of luck," Carlisle said and Marcus nodded in gratitude.

"Good bye, old friend" Marcus said.

"Good bye Marcus," Carlisle said. We turned to leave and when we did I saw Alec and Jane standing behind us.

"Thank you for all of your help," I said.

"Yeah, don't mention it," Jane said, "ever."

"Are you staying here?" I asked.

"Yes," Alec replied, "it's out home, it's were we belong."

"Well then I have a task for you," Marcus said from behind us.

"Yes sir, what is it?" Jane asked.

"Put out this fire," he replied and I turned to look at the raging fire in the corner that really did need to be put out. I was actually quite shocked that it hadn't burned through the floor or the walls.

"Of course," Alec said and they ran out of the room to get water. We followed them out of the room and then quickly made our way out of the building. As soon as we were outside I took a deep breath of fresh air and grabbed Bella to bring her close.

Bella's arms wrapped around my waist tightly and we stood there enjoying our first moment of freedom in silence. Judging by their retreating thoughts, it was clear that our family backing off and giving us our moment.

"Edward," Bella said quietly with her face buried in my chest, "Is this real, are we really free?"

"It's real, love, it's real," I said and held her tighter.

Bella's grip on me loosened and I looked down at her just as looked up at me. That was all it took for my lips to come crashing down on Bella's. It was like the last few weeks caught up to us and we couldn't get enough of each other.

My hands were locked on Bella's waist as I held her close and Bella's were in my hair. Bella's nails gently scratched my scalp as our lips and tongues battled for dominance. I moaned before realizing we were still in a public place. I reluctantly pulled away and sighed at the loss of contact.

"I love you so much Edward," Bella said as she rested her head on my chest.

"I love you too Bella," I replied as I stroked her hair.

"Where did everyone else go?" Bella asked she took in her surroundings.

"They are giving us a minute," I explained.

"Edward," Bella said as lifted her head up to look at me.

"Yes," I replied.

"Can we get the hell out of here now?" Bella asked with smile.

"God yes," I replied as our family reappeared.

"Ready to go?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes," Bella and I said together.

"Good," Alice said, "because I managed to find us a couple of cabs."

We all walked over to where the two cabs Alice had somehow managed to hail were waiting. Bella and I climbed into one with Carlisle and Esme and while the other four climbed into the other one.

Once we were situated in the back I wrapped my arm around Bella and she rested her head on my shoulder. The cab started on we were finally on our way home.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: sujari6, Amineh1825, Bellaangel383, Iceblondie, Angelus Draco, sillygabby, the captains wife, spunkransom12, psychovampirefreak, Dixie.f.9.,twinicole, cullengirl08, twilight-saga-lover95, ahhleesaaa, swiftie121389, sandy4321, Flavia Ribeiro, lizakimiko, ellaryne, viola1701e, mayejrmorris, RobstenLover93 for taking the time to leave a review it means a lot.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :)**


	22. A Loose End

**I don't own Twilight**

A Loose End

When we got to the airport Alice informed us that she had already bought plane tickets for us. Apparently she used her phone to buy them during the cab ride and all we had to do was check in at the counter.

"Edward, are we going back to Minnesota or Chicago?" Bella asked as we stepped up to the counter.

"Hi," Alice said to the person working the check-in counter, "We have tickets reserved on the 7 a.m. flight to Seattle."

"I guess we are going to Forks," I said, answering Bella's earlier question.

"That's where you were living before you came to Minnesota, right?" Bella asked.

"Yes, that is where our primary house is," I explained. Bella nodded as Alice handed us our tickets. We didn't have any baggage to check, since none of us had bothered to grab any of the clothes Alice had bought when we left Volterra, so we headed over to wait in the line for security. As we waited, I glanced out of the window at the early morning light. It was hard to believe that it was already almost morning. The battle with the Volturi had taken longer than I thought. Bella nudged me and we moved forward. Because of the time of day we didn't have to wait long to get through security.

Once we found our gate we sat down to wait for the boarding to begin. It was only 5:30, so we had some time to wait. Carlisle and Esme went to a nearby gift shop to look for some books to read on the plane, Rose and Alice went with them to look for the latest gossip magazines, and Emmett and Jasper went to the window to watch the planes come and go. Bella and I stayed where we were and she rested her head on my shoulder.

"Do you want anything for the plane?" I asked as I wrapped my arm around her.

"Just you," Bella replied and looked up at me with her gorgeous smile. I brought my lips down to kiss hers, and soon we were both lost in the heat of the moment. Only when we heard someone clearing their throat did we come back to reality, to find Emmett standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

"Don't be rude, little brother," Emmett said, "I did just help you defeat the Volturi, after all."

"Yes you did, and thank you for that," I said, "I missed the end of your battle with Santiago. How did you finish him off?"

"Well, after he got distracted by Rose's ass it was pretty easy," Emmett said with distaste.

"That's what distracted him?" I asked in shock, "I thought the fight was what distracted him."

"Apparently my wife's ass is more distracting than any battle," Emmett replied.

"What?" Rose said in shock, as she walked up behind Emmett.

"Oh, Emmett just said that he defeated Santiago because Santiago got distracted by your ass," I explained.

"That creep was checking me out?" Rose asked in outrage.

"Yes dear," Emmett replied, "That's why I killed him." Rose smiled tenderly at Emmett and then they attacked each other.

"We weren't this bad, were we?" Bella whispered as we watched Rose push Emmett into a chair and then straddle him.

"God no," I shuddered in disgust.

"Rose, Emmett, please remember we are in public," Esme admonished as she, Carlisle, and Alice came back.

"Sorry Esme," Rose said sheepishly as she pulled away from Emmett and moved to sit in the chair next to him. Jasper came over, sat next to Alice, and then we sat and waited for a flight to board. We were in first class so we didn't have to wait too long. Once we were seated on the plane we waited for everyone else to board and then took off.

I was pleased that the movie they showed, Warm Bodies, didn't feature any plane crashes like the movie on the flight over here did. Once the movie was over the rest of flight was quick and uneventful. Once we landed in Seattle we got two more cabs to take us home.

As we got closer and closer to Forks I realized just how happy I was to be back. It seemed like a lifetime had gone by since I had been in Forks. Really it had only been a few months, but so much had happened those months that it seemed longer. I had left looking for some peace and quiet but I ended up finding my mate and taking down the Volturi instead.

We finally got to Forks and started pointing things out to Bella. I showed her the school, the hospital and few other stores that I thought she might like. When we pulled up the house Carlisle paid the cab drivers and we all went inside. I grabbed Bella's hand and led her up the stairs to my room.

As we walked into the room I realized that some of my stuff was still at the Minnesota house and I would to go and get it at some point. There were a few things at the Chicago house that I needed to get too, my car especially.

"I like your room," Bella said as she looked around.

"It's our room now," I said as I opened the glass doors that lead to the woods.

"Our room," Bella said with a smile, "I like the sound of that."

"Me too," I said as wrapped my arms around her waist and brought my lips to hers. Bella broke the kiss a few minutes later with a look of regret on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to ruin the moment, but I need to hunt," she said.

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry. I should have thought of that sooner," I said feeling guilty.

"Don't be ridiculous," Bella said, "You can't read my mind, remember?"

"Oh I remember," I replied and Bella laughed.

"Let's go," Bella said as she grabbed me hand and pulled me to the doors. We jumped down and ran into the woods. The feeling of finally being able to run free was amazing and I could tell Bella was enjoying it as well. It had been a very long time since Bella had been allowed to hunt for herself and her excitement was palpable. I watched a serene smile creep onto her face as she ran and the wind gently hit her face. We had only gone a couple miles when Bella suddenly stopped and smelled the air.

"Do you smell it?" she asked. I sniffed the air and instantly picked up on the mountain lion that Bella smelled. I nodded and we both took off in the direction of the scent.

It didn't take us long to find the source of the smell. We stopped when we came upon the two mountain lions sniffing around for food. Bella looked at me before taking off and pouncing on one of the lions, and I wasted no time in taking down the other one. We drank side by side, and when we were finished we worked together to bury the bodies.

"Are you still thirsty?" I asked, "We can look for something else if you are."

"I'm good," Bella replied as she licked the last of the blood of her lips.

"Yeah you are," I agreed with a smirk as I pulled her close and showed exactly what that little move had done to me.

"Let's go home," Bella whimpered as my lips found her neck.

"Good idea," I agreed and we took off. It only took us minutes to get back to the house and we when we got there it we headed straight for the front door. We would have gone up through the doors in my room, but Esme doesn't like us climbing up the side of the house when we have mud on our shoes.

I opened the door for Bella and we walked into the house but stopped dead when we saw who was sitting in the living room with Esme and Carlisle.

"Hi Edward," Tanya said happily. I just stared in disbelief. She was smiling at me as if she wasn't the informant for Alec and Jane and nearly destroyed my relationship with Bella.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to see you of course," she said like it was most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't want to see you," I replied.

"Edward, don't be rude," Esme scolded me and I looked at her in shock.

"Esme, you know what she did," I protested.

"Just talk like civilized people," Esme said as she and Carlisle left the room.

"Why are you so mad at me?" Tanya asked.

"Is she for real?" Bella whispered in my ear causing me to smirk.

"I am mad at you because you told Jane and Alec were I was, and you told them I was with someone," I said, "Because of you, Bella was kidnapped and we were forced to spend weeks with the Volturi."

"Look, I'm sorry but lying to Jane really isn't an option because she is trigger happy with her power," Tanya said, "And they had another guy with them who was even more powerful than Jane and Alec."

"Fine, I get it, you really didn't have a choice," I said, "now it's been a long few weeks and Bella and I would like to go upstairs and relax."

"But…but I thought we could spend some time together," Tanya pouted.

"No," I replied.

"Didn't you miss me at all?" Tanya purred as she came over to rest her hand on my cheek.

"Okay, that's it," Bella said as she pushed Tanya back.

"What is your problem?" Tanya asked.

"Listen, bitch," Bella said, "you need to wake up and get it through your head that Edward doesn't love you and he never will. Edward is my mate and he loves me. If you come after him again you are going to have to deal with me and I just helped take down the Volturi, so you don't want to mess with me. Do you understand?"

Tanya nodded but didn't say anything; it was pretty clear she was speechless.

"Good, now leave," Bella said and pointed to the door. I smirked and wrapped my arm around Bella's waist as I watched Tanya do what Bella had asked.

"That was amazing," I said as I kissed Bella's cheek, "Thank you."

"No problem," Bella said as she turned put her arms around my neck, "I just hope she listens and stays gone."

"She won't," I said, "but it will be nice while it lasts."

"Looks like I'm starting my own kill list," Bella said.

"Well, I got to kill both of the guys on my list so maybe one day you will get your chance," I said with a smile as I brought my lips to hers.

"We can only hope," Bella said with a smirk of her won when we broke apart.

I grabbed Bella's hand and we raced up to our room together. When we got there Bella flopped down on the small daybed I had while I ran into my closet. I pulled down an antique wooden box from the shelf, opened it and pulled a smaller velvet box.

After everything Bella and I had been through I didn't want to wait another moment in making her mine forever and I knew this was the first step. I put the box back on the shelf and walked back to where Bella was waiting. I knelt down in front of her on one knee and opened the ring box.

"Oh Edward," Bella breathed, "It's beautiful."

"It was my mother's," I explained, "Bella, when I saw you sitting on that I rock I knew you were going to change my life, and you have. You have made it better and brighter than I ever thought it could be. I love you more than anything. My mate, my love, will you marry me?"

"Yes," Bella whispered and I slid the ring on her finger.

Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down on the bed with her. I brought my lips to hers and we started our happily ever after.

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! Thanks also to: muffinmom, SelenaQuintanillaLOVER, Flavia Ribeiro, psychovampirefreak, twilight-saga-lover95, jansails, Bellaangel383,8thweasleykid, mayejrmorris, sillygabby, sujari6, lizakimiko, ahhleesaaa, cullengirl08, ellaryne, viola1701e, twilightlover5432176, swiftie121389, midnight-sun1918, RobstenLover93 for leaving a review. It means a lot!**

**This is last regular chapter, all that's left is the Epilogue :(**

**PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU :) **


	23. A Happy Ending

**I don't own Twilight!**

A Happy Ending

Two months later…

"Bella!" I called as I walked down the stairs. There was no reply, and when I reached the last stair I could see that the living room was empty. A quick search of the rest of the rooms on the first floor told me that my new bride was missing. Bella and I had been married just the previous week and were enjoying our honeymoon.

Alice planned the wedding, and it had been small, intimate, and completely perfect. The only other guests besides our family were the Denali family, Jane, Alec, and Marcus. Tanya was seated front and center so she could see once and for all that I was taken. It must have worked, because by the end of the night she and Alec were all over each other.

Bella and I spent quite a bit of time with Marcus at the reception; he filled us in on how well he was doing with his new position as head of the Volturi. It was clear that Marcus loved being in charge and his revisions were effective. The Volturi no longer ruled by fear and intimidation.

At the end of the night Carlisle and Esme presented us with our wedding present. They gave us the deed to the house in Minnesota. It was ours now, and was where we were spending our honeymoon. We spent most of the week in bed, but were forced to get up to hunt every once in a while. We had just returned from a hunting trip, and I had showered after taking down a rather aggressive wolf that resulted in rather dirty clothing. Bella had taken my clothes and said she was going to wash them, and I now stood in the laundry room wondering where she was.

I looked around and realized her shoes were missing. I slipped on my own shoes and headed outside to look for her. It didn't take me long to find her. All I had to do was walk in the clearing and there she was, sitting on her rock, the rock she was sitting on when I first saw her. The sun was shining on her just like it had been that day, and her beauty took my breath away just like it had then.

"Hi," I said quietly. Bella looked up at me and smiled but said nothing.

"Are you alright?" I asked and her smile grew. A smile of my own appeared as I realized we were reliving our first conversation. I walked over to Bella and leaned down to press a kiss on her smiling face before I sat next to her.

"I got worried when I couldn't find you," I said.

"Sorry," she said looking sheepish, "It's our last day here and I just wanted to visit this spot before we left."

"It is an amazing spot," I said.

"It's a life changing spot," Bella said and leaned her head on my chest.

"Yes it is," I agreed before placing a kiss in the top of her head.

"Promise me we will come back here soon?" Bella said.

"We can come back whenever you want," I said, "I promise."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes, really," I replied, "You can trust me."

"I do," Bella said and turned around to wrap her arms around my neck, "With all my heart."

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen," I said.

"I love you too, Edward," Bella said with smile. Bella pressed her lips gently to mine. When we breathlessly broke apart I looked into Bella's eye and knew with her by my side I would be happy for the rest of my long life.

The End!

**AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn for all of her hard work on this story :) Thanks also to:** **barbiedoll123, Angelus Draco, The Doctor Rose, sandy4321, sandy4321, twilight-saga-lover95, viola1701e, jansails, lizakimiko, 8thweasleykid, mayejrmorris, Dixie.f.9., ahhleesaaa, sujari6, ellaryne, cullengirl08, sillygabby, Flavia Ribeiro, RobstenLover93 for taking the time to leave a review it means a lot.**

**Thanks to everyone read, reviewed, and followed this story it means the world to me :)**

**I have other ideas swirling around in my head so be on alert for new stories! **


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